JUVENILE CRIME.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1735, 5 September 1919, Page 2

JUVENILE CRIME.

INFLUENCE OF THE "MOVIES." Press Association. WELLINGTON, September 4. During the hearing of. the' Juvenile Court to-day of 17 charges of breaking and entering and theft against 10 boys whose ages ranged from nine to 15 years, the defending counsel said that ■the boys' actions were due largely to the influence of pictures. It was a significant fact that, on the day on which the first crimes were committed, the boys had been to a picture show, where they had seen a bloodthirsty cowboy picture. The effect of this picture was apparently to turn the boys' imagination, and on' their way home they committed the crimes with which theywere now charged. On the following Saturday, when the boys entered the other premises, they had* previously witnessed another "serial picture. The boys whom he was defending, counsel proceeded, had also been reading what he described as "Yellow Press," and he produced a copy of a publication, and drew his Worship's attention to two' stories. Mr E. Page, S.M., said that no doubt some pictures were a very valuable agent for educational purposes, but some were unsuitable for boys to see. Pictures were somewhat to blame for this series of crimes. He proposed to bring the matter under the notice of the Minister of Internal Affairs, as he regarded the position as serious. In Auckland, some years ago, a similar series of crimes was perpetrated by boys as a result of the exhibition of such pictures mentioned by counsel.