HEADMASTER CHARGED

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1931, Page 12

HEADMASTER CHARGED

TAMPERING WITH GIRLS ALLEGED A CHARGE OF CARNAL KNOWLEDGE Tampering with young girls and carnal knowledge of one of them was alleged in the indictment at the trial of. Arthur Freeman Palmer, aged 45, headmaster of the I’ikorangi school, in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. The hearing will be continued before Mr. Justice Reed this morning. Carnal knowledge was said to have taken place on or about December, 1930, with a girl aged 13 years 11 months; alternatively the charge was indecent assault. There were four counts of indecent assault, or indecent acts, with other girls: (1) In or about March, 1929, with a girl aged 10 years and 4 months; (2) in or about November, 1930, with a girl aged 7 years and 4 months; ,(3) in or about December, 1930, with the same girl; in or about March, 1931, with a girl about 14 years old. A jury was empanelled as follow: Reginald Pike (foreman), Frank Rogers, J. N. Eva, J. E. Carter, C. N. Kingston, A. R. Davis, Mark James, L. J. Bellringer, N. V. Lightfoot, D. A. Doile, E. G. Foden and E. R. Looney. The court was cleared. Mr. C. H. Weston acted for the Crown and Mr. A. A. Bennett defended. If the evidence of the girls were to be believed the offences had been going on for some time, said Mr. Weston. Referring to the circumstances as a result of which investigations were made, he said that towards the end of November, 1930, a child, of seven complained to her mother \about Palmer’s conduct. As the girl was 'so young the mother thought she might be mistaken and did not pursue the matter further. It was considered, wiser then to take no action, but just before the Christmas holidays the child made a further complaint and as'a result the mother spoke to another daughter aged 14. As a result of this interview it was decided to take the girls away from the school. The older of the girls would say that Palmer had made a practice of taking her on his knee. The younger s-'ster’s evidence was that Palmer placed his hand on her Jog. This occurred durin t play-time or the lunch hour, the little airl being kept in. The evidence was tSat Palmer put his hand on one of the children while she was standing

by his table at the end of a semi- 1 circle of pupils. The table blocked, the view of the others. The door was closed, and the.. Yale

lock snibbed by Palmer during the play-times and lunch hours in which offences were alleged to have occurred. The occurrences spoken of by the younger girl were timed, in November and December, 1930, and by the older girl in March, 1931. Concerning a charge timed in March, 1929, Mr. Weston said that a girl would say that on about four occasions Palmer acted somewhat similarly with her. After that she avoided, standing next the teacher. , .

The charge of carnal knowledge in December, 1930, concerned a girl aged 13 years' and 11 months, said counsel. Carnal knlfivled'ge, it would be alleged, had begun in .March when she. was sweeping out' one of the schoolrooms. From t£eh on/that sort, of thing took place fairly regularly till the end of the year, when she left school. Counsel admitted that on the evidence the girl appeared to be a consenting party, but that was no legal defence; she was under 16 and the law held her to be inviolable.

' While Palmer was interfering with her during one play-time a boy came into the room. The teacher said something to him and gave him the key of the woodshed.

The boy remembered the occasion clearly, but his evidence was that it was in March, 1931, not the previous December, and that it was not the girl mentioned but a sister. He saw them, thought he was not wanted and went out. A few seconds later Palmer came out and after asking him what he wanted gave him the keys. His Honour; What does the sister say? Mr. Weston: The sister the boy says

lie saw denied to the police anything of the kind and she is not being called to-day. I want to say that in fairness to the accused. Dr. R. L. Barclay, Waitara, had. examined the other girl, after the trouble became known, proceeded Mr. Weston, and he would say it was clear she had been interfered with.

A parent of another girl would give evidence that about twelve months ago he interviewed Palmer and asked him

if ho took his small daughter on his knee' and ticked her. Palmer said he did and, further, that he did it with most of the children so that they would not be frightened of him and would gain confidence. This explanation satisfied the- parent and he allowed his girl to remain at the school. On March 31, 1931, Detective Kearney interviewed Palmer, who denied the allegation of carnal knowledge of one girl and indecent assault of another girl. He said he would not say or write a statement until he saw his solicitor. He said the two girls referred to were backward and that he had had to assist them. Their conduct was all right and he had found them truthful. He could not explain why they should make such charges against him. He was arrested on April 14. Evidence was given by Courtenay Kenny, surveyor, who made a . plan of the school by the girls and their mothers, and by Dr. Barclay.