ASSAULTS ON CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 27

ASSAULTS ON CHILDREN.

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

STRICTURES BY A JUDGE

AUCKLAND, December 2. Five persons appeared before tha Supreme Court this morning and were sentenced for offences upon children. Mr Justice Edwards remarked upon the increase of tliis crime, and noted that at least two grand juries had advocated more drastic punishment. Reginald William Service, charged with an offence against a little girl, was sentenced io seven years' hard labour, with two floggings of 25 lashes each. The prisoner said : "And may you drop etone dead before you pass another sentence!" He was promptly Temoved> from the court. Thomas John Gedge, a youth, not well balanced mentally, was "sentenced to one year for indecent assault. An old man *(J ame s William Adamson) declared that the case was pure fabrication against him. . The judge said he was rightly convicted. It was a»solutely shocking to see an old man like the, accused, with one foot in the grave, assaulting iittle children. His extreme old age and weakness would make it in-utal to inflict a flogging, so that would be remitted, but a sufficiently deterrent punishment must be given: He was sentenced to three years, with hard labour. 4 plea for mercy was put in on behalf of HarryRoland Frost, on the ground that v the jury found him guilty of intent to commit an assault. The judge said the jury had allowed its feelings to outweigh its discretion. Xo doubt the full crime was committed, but he could only deal with it as intent, but were it in his power he would order a flogging. Following the recommendation of the grand jury, both at the last and the present sittings, the maximum of two years, which the judge 6aid was quite inadequate, was imposed.