CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 3

CRIME IN AUCKLAND.

SEXUAL DEPRAVITY. NEED FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN. (Feom Oub Own CoBKEoroNUEHT.) AUCKLAND, January 7. The most depressing feature of crime in the Auckland district last year .was the marked increase in the Dumber of offences that affront tho moral principles of the community. These offences are classified officially as youthful dishonesty as distinct from juvenile thieving, misappropriation of trust and public moneys, pilfering from shops and warehouses, and sexual vices. The year 1924, states a responsible and experienced observer of crime, was bv far the worst on record in Auckland for offences of a sexual nature. There wore 77 indictable offenders dealt with by tho Auckland Supreme Court during tho year, and of that total, which, numerically, in propoition to the population and in relation to tho hectic modes of lifo to-day, was*, not unduly disquieting, close on a score represented sexual cases of a singularly depraved character. The worst period of such crime was that dealt with at the final criminal sessions of the year, when no fewer than 12 out of a calendar of 25 indictable cases wore, to uso the characterisation of tho judge who tried tho offenders, “hard to equal for unadulterated indecency.” It is agreed by representative officials that the provincial orimo record doog not in itself .justify any disquietude, but tho judges, magistrates, and responsible officers of. tho Justice Department have been, and still are, united in emphasising the need of salutary punishment for depraved and disgusting sexual offences. “There are far too many of these cases in Auckland,” said an official, “and if tho citizens generally know (ho real nature of the vicious sexual practices (hat have called for tho attention of investigators and the law courts there would ho less hysterical sentiment against making the punishment fit tho crime. The real crux of the whole question is tho protection of chi|dren. This vital necessity has been seriously assailed in recent years, and th» number of offences against children i 9 a groat deal more than appears in tho statistical records. There is much necessity for tho salutary punishment of such offenders.” It is recalled that when a judge of the Auckland Supreme Court some years ago ordered floggings for depraved sexual offenders tho list of such offences decreased rapidly until a case of tho kind was conspicuous in its isolation. A period of judicial tenderness succeeded tho development of a more humane treatment of criminals, and sexual crime again steadily increased until, for the last year up to November, tho number of cases assumed a record proportion of the criminal calendar. Quite merciful men hold the belief that the lash is a good cure as well as an impressive deterrent of moral perversity.