ALLEGED MALPRACTICE.
THE BLENHEIM CASE. (Pan United Press Association.) BLENHEIM, May 12. The adjourned inquest concerning the death of Rita Violet Niooll, aged 18 years, who, it is alleged, mot her death as the result of an illegal-operation, was resumed before Mr. E. J. Hill,, district coroner. Chief Detective Kemp represented the police, and Richard Hollis, who is under arrest on a charge of performing an alleged illegal operation, and Thomas Viggara, who was charged with procuring Hollis to perform the alleged operation, were present. The depositions of the deceased were taken on the 4th inst., and the Registrar of the Supreme Court was proceeding to read them when Mr F. F. Relling, for the accused, claimed the power of the coroner to prevent - the publication of evidence when matters on which it touched were sub judice. This was an instance, said counsel, where publication should be prohibited. Two men were under arrest, and it was desirable that the depositions should not be made public. He did not object to them being read before the coroner’s court. The depositions were- then road.
The coroner stated that ho could, not prohibit publication. Had Mr Rolling . advanced reasons for opposing the reading of the depositions, he .might have felt inclined to support his contentions,, but, having been given in evidence in open court, he could not see why publication should bo prohibited. ■The Chief Detective said that it was the f|rst. instance, he had ever known of a request of a similar nature being made The coroner said ho would leave the matter to the discretion of the press. The coroner’s verdict was that, death was due to septic pneumonia, caused by Infection of the blood stream, causes’, by injury to the uterus inflicted by a non-surgical instrument unskilfully used. Th»re - was no evidence, apart from the oriiT.s depositions, to show'hy whom the injury was caused,
Both accused are now in custody on the major charge of murder, the hearing of which will come before the magistrate on Tuesday. ■
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 18861, 14 May 1923, Page 8
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337ALLEGED MALPRACTICE. Otago Daily Times, Issue 18861, 14 May 1923, Page 8
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