Toronto Daily Star, 28 January 1956

Order Paddle For 3 Youths In Sex Attack

Edmonton, Jan. 28 - (CP) -- Three youths convicted of criminally assaulting a 16-year-old girl yesterday were sentenced to six years in Prince Albert Penitentiary and 12 strokes of the paddle. The sentences were meted out to Melvin Gullberg, 21; Blaine Bowes, 18; and Robert Fraser, 17, all of Edmonton.

Mr. Justice Boyd McBride said that "only by the grace of Divine Providence murder did not take place." He ordered that six strokes of the paddle be given within one month of the three reaching the penitentiary and six within one month of discharge.

Mr. Justice McBride said that in "an adjoining province" such attacks were on the increase a couple of years ago.

"I watched that situation carefully and I noted when corporal punishment was added to imprisonment and the lash was imposed, it was remarkable how unfashionable such attacks perpetrated by youthful gangsters became and how abruptly it stopped in that province."