=(2) Cases in Other Districts=

It cannot be supposed that sexual misbehaviour was confined to the Hutt district.  Similar environmental conditions obtain in other districts.  It was reliably stated in evidence at Wellington that if a girl elsewhere were to carry her story to the police similar revelations would be made there.

In Auckland matters came to the knowledge of the Committee which do cause grave concern.  Here again the Committee was not engaged on a fact-finding mission, but was seeking to evaluate the evidence in a broad way.

It appears that, a few weeks before the Hutt cases were reported, the headmaster of an intermediate school informed the police of a case of theft of money by a schoolboy who was found to have L22 in his wallet.  In the course of their inquiries into this the police were started on a train of investigation into sexual practices of children on their way home from school, at the homes of parents, and elsewhere.  As a result, about 40 boys and girls in the 12—­15-year-old group (but including also a girl of 9 years) were implicated.  In addition to this, there were two cases before the Court in which several girls had given evidence of their agreement to sexual intercourse with older men.  One of the accused men has recently been sentenced to a term of imprisonment, while the other is still awaiting trial.  As this latter case, and also a charge of murder against a boy aged 14, are still sub judice, the Committee is unable to comment on any of the factors involved.

This much may, however, be said that, from the police, welfare officers, a headmaster, and social workers in Auckland, the Committee learned of an accumulation of sordid happenings occurring within a short space of time which people who regard themselves as men of the world could scarcely believe possible in this Dominion.

No submissions were presented to the Committee that sexual offending by juveniles in the South Island had increased to any alarming extent.  Such cases as were mentioned to the Committee followed previously recognized patterns.

IV.  Has Juvenile Immorality Increased?

=(1) Difficulties of Comparison in Absence of Statistics=

In seeking to ascertain whether immorality among children and adolescents has increased or is increasing it should be pointed out that there are not any statistics available either in New Zealand or elsewhere from which reliable guidance may be obtained.  Sexual immorality is, by its very nature, a clandestine vice.  Any available figures can comprise only such things as detected offences against the law, or registration of ex-nuptial births, or births which have resulted from pre-marital intercourse.  Figures are not available concerning immoral acts which do not become the subject of a criminal charge.

Charges of unlawful carnal knowledge or indecent assault arise, for the most part, from complaints made by females.  From feelings of chivalry or other reasons it is not in the nature of the male to inform on the female.  The common experience is that a charge of sexual impropriety comes from information supplied by the female.  So long as a girl is prepared to be silent, the offenders remain unknown.  As with older people, so also with children.