Corpun file 22873
The Argus, Melbourne, 27 August 1929, p.10
Youth to receive birching.
Having pleaded guilty some days ago to a charge of a serious offence against a girl aged between 10 and 16 years, at Emerald, on or about September, 1928, Arthur Collins, aged 17 years, of Emerald, appeared before Judge Woinarski in General Sessions yesterday for sentence.
Judge Woinarski said that the case was very shocking, because the girl in questions was Collins's own sister. It was difficult to know what to do in the circumstances, but some punishment was necessary. Were it not for the medical evidence, Judge Woinarski would have sent Collins to gaol. Learning, however, that that would be detrimental, and that it would be detrimental if Collins were even sent to a reformatory and kept among other prisoners, the course which the Court proposed to take was that which he thought was necessary in the circumstances. Collins would be sentenced to imprisonment for one month, and to receive a birching of 12 strokes. As sentence dated from the beginning of the month, that would mean that Collins would be kept in custody for the balance of the week, and would receive the birching during that time.
