“DEPRAVED GIRLS”

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1929, Page 11 (Supplement)

“DEPRAVED GIRLS”

CHIEF JUSTICE CRITICISED. Wellington, Dee. 17. Strong criticism of the statement of the Chief Justice, the Hon. M. Myers, that he had discovered “appalling depravity among young girls,” is made by a visiting psychologist.: “I have made it my business to inquire into the facts of the case, and have been shocked that anyone occupying such a position .is the Chief Justice should indulge in such language,” said the psychologist to-day. "The terms employed conjure up all manner of images which are not justified by the facts as they have been stated to me.. ‘A great deal of the trouble in cases such as these arises from the fact that Wc allow ourselves to bo imposed upon by a legal fiction—the fiction that until a girl reaches the age of consent her normal sexual processes do not, or ought not, to develop. The fact that in many countries, especially tropic countries, many thousands of girls are married before that age, ought to give us pause. Our legislaticii is intended for the protection of the girl, but it does not mean that she is not to hate any curiosity in sexual matters before that age, or that if slm ’ -« exhibit it she is to be classed as depraved. I must protest against any such attempt to label young girls in a r -i.uor which may do them the greatest mental harm. “Research since the development of psychological clinics on a large scale has revealed that many of our old notions on the subject of normal behaviour are statistically unsound. And it is obvious that where we have had thousands of cases of children of eig? and nine years revealing a curiosity which we consider should be reserved for a later date, we' must not rush to hasty conclusions. Each case must be judged on its merits, but we ijiust make temperate judgments, and above all we must employ an educated manner of approach. The statement of the Chief Justice has been followed by extravagant charges by

some -social workers, worthy peo-ple, no doubt, but scarcely the folk to deal with matters such as this. Buch charges inflame the public mind, and they do not

enable it to make clear judgment bo« cause the facts are not given. They are, indeed, most linfaif.”