JUVENILE CRIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18764, 18 January 1923, Page 4

JUVENILE CRIME

INVESTIGATIONS IN VICTORIA. KTbou Odb Own Cobhuspondent.) ’ SYDNEY January 11. In connection with crime among children under tho age of 17, an investigation held in Victoria covering tho year just ended shows that almost without exception the home surroundings of the offenders have

contributed materially to the commission of tho offence. The youngsters graduate, as it were, in 'wrong doing, which the parents “wink” at. A short while ago a band of a dozen boys, aged about 10 yews each, committed a largo number of thefts from houses and factories in a suburb of Melbourne, stealing property valued in all at several hundred pounds, and entering over 30 buildings in the course of their stealings; The leader of tho “gang” had for months been a reputed thief and house-breaker, and hod been committed to a reformatory for prior offences, but had escaped and made j.ia way homo. Hero he was sheltered by his mother, who, instead of corporarly convincing her offspring that ho was not treading the path of tho righteous, actually encouraged him to commit further offences, and when, as was inevitable, ho was caught, attempted to terrorise witnesses against Trim into refusing to give evidence. Two other boys of tho same band on one occasion stole about £2O in notes. They “split” tho booty and slept out that night. During tho night each tried to rob tho other of his share of the money,, but was unsuccessful, and when they set out for their respective homos next morning each had about half the money. Tho boys hid the money at their homes, but it was discovered by their mothers, who, actually in their turn, stole it from tho boys. On another occasion two lads stole about £l5O. AVith the money they took trips all round Melbourne and bought expensive presents tor their parents and friends. The parents of the boys accepted presents which cost about £lO each from their boys without question, and when tho inevitable day of reckoning came, and tho boys wero ordered to be retained at tho reformatory, were grievously insulted when told by tho magistrate that they were not fit to have charge of the children. On still another occasion, when a notorious shopbreaker, aged 10 years, who eluded arrest for several months, was caught and sentenced to confinement, the boy managed to escape from the police and made his way homo, AA’hen a constable went to arrest him, tho boy’s mother released n savage dog. and, seizing a largo pair of scissors, placed herself between the constable and her son, and defied “nil the police in Melbourne” to arrest him. Even when tho boys are caught, and safely lodged in a reformatory, they frequently escape. One boy only 12 years old has been caught and taken to a reformatory at least half a dozen times, but has escaped within a few days each time, and ho is now at large. Constables and others who have had many years’ experience in children’s courts and reformatories, declare that the confining of lads to reformatories generally does more harm than good. In the reformatories hoys who have been convicted of different crimes are gathered together, and by “exchanging notes” equip themselves for a life of crime when they arc released. And tho dinning displayed by children is often amazing. It is a very rare thing' for children who have committed a serious crime to sleep at their homes at night. They know that the night is a favourite lime for the police to swoop down on them and take them in .heir beds so they generally enmn out in porches, sheds, and other outbuildings, and not infrequently steal milk and other food for their morning meal.