JUVENILE DEPRAVITY,

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 30

JUVENILE DEPRAVITY,

A REVOLTING CASK." At the City Police Court on the 26th, before Meesrs W. Hutchison and Messrs J. Hyman, J.P.Tr, a Chinese named Ah Kara was charged with having about tb.N 13sh mat., at Anderson's Bayy attempted to criminally assault a young girl or the age of 12 yoaia and 10 months, and thus under the age of noDsent. Chief Detectiva O'Connor conducted the prosecution, and Mr Honlon dafended.> Constable Broberg deposed that he arrested) accused' in a garden near his house at Anderson's Bay, on the 20th inst. Witness explained tho charges to him.- •He said; " Fes, the little girl* came to my bouse, but I chased them aw»y." Ha previously asked witness when it was tho girla came to his place. Accused lived in a one-roomed house: * TheProsecutrbt, who said she would bo 13 years of aguon the 4th of July; next, stated that she and another little girl visited the Chinaman* place at Anderson's Bay, 'about 2o'elock on tht» afternoon of the 13th inst. Having detailed whatoccured, shesaid that she and tho other girl received sixpence each from tho accused. By -Mr Hanlrro': She saw occueod on another occasion, when she was out at another Chinsj man's' plac- at Anderson's Bay. She had only been to Chinaman's places- twico altogether. I Do you swear that you h»vo never baen to- oth«r Chinamen's places?— l have been inside their houses. That is all, but nothing , wrong happened. Have you be»n to Chinamen's pla-es iv Dun* edin 1-*-I have been to Guiu&meu'a places in Dunedin with tbe other girl. They wore not houses. They were shops. Didn't you often go to these places?— Yes. The accused did not try to induce her to go into his place at Andersons B»y. She understood accused's intention, and expected Bd. Tho same thing' had happened before. She had seen it happen with othor girls. She was in the First Standaid, and bad not flushed going to school. The other little 1 girl, who snid she would bo 14 years of age on the 27th of June next, gave for the most part corroborative evidence of the occurrence, adding that it was the other -girl's fault that anything happened. She said' somer- ! thing to the Chinaman, and that was how he came^to insult both of them. Dr ( )gsfcon'B evidence was to the effect that from examination it was evident that the girl was in the habit of frequently consorting with' men. The mother of the girl also gave' evidence, after which Mr Hanlon addressed tho court. He submitted that the bench would come to the conclusion that it was a case that should bo dismissed by that court. He knew that justices were not inclined! to dismiss casbs in tbe Police Court if they could avoid it, because they did not wish to take the responsibility of decided thorn ; but when a case like this ono came up it was their duty to weigh the evidence, and if there was not sufficient to send the accused for trial to dismiss the case. The present case was one of considerable public importance, and he might say, was one to cause con-st.-rntvtion. A similar ono had been before the court' a little while ago, and he had then occasion to make some comment upon such a state of aff.vis existing in thocity, and it wa* needless for him to enlarge upon it again. The laat case was a shocking one, but Ibis was eveu woraei In thia case they bad two little girls who had. proved' to the court with their /»wn lips that they wore prostitutes of the lowest typa, and tbat they had fallen to the lowest depths of degradation. In the othor case it was shocking to find that tho children had fallen bo far as they had, but in the present instance one of the girls had stated plainly that they went to the Chinamen's for purpose of prostitu'ioa and with the object of earning money. The Chimmian had not tried to induce them to go into tbe house, but one of them had used a low .and beastly expression to the man. Could tho bench credit that such a state of affairs could exist? They were asked to send this man for trial upoa evidence not to be believed, and upon the word of girls who had fallen so low that they could do things that could only be done by human natures in its very lowest form. Was a man's liberty to depend upon such creatures aa these ? Counsel went on to point out discrepancies inthe-evidenca of tho two Rirls, and suggested that they must have invented tho story. In the Women's Parliament it was said that these Chinamen should not be allowed in the place at all, because they were bad citizens 1 and ruined' our girla, but in this instance itwus< the girls who hod approached the Chinaman. It was simply wretched to ltear inch ranting. The Bench thought the girla 1 tvidence jefr W ■ Hot be altogHtlun- reliable, butt they could v v • • •' over tho crucial point, stnd cottoiuered ill > t *-.-< prima faetit evidenca that the crime hud. i.eui committed. Accused was then cautioned and committed for trial, bail being allowed; himself in £100 and two sureties of £50 each. , A second charge was adjourned to tha following day, bailbalng fixed at accused in his own re cognisance of £10.

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