A quite fascinating publication popped up on one of my occasional Google searches for interesting articles. “Justice and the Child” by Douglas Pepler was published in London in 1915; the section of particular interest concerned sentencing of young offenders.
“The record,” the author explained, “will show that the magistrates are lenient in the county of London.” The breakdown of the outcome of a little over 3,500 cases before them in 1912 was as follows:
– not settled at time of report: 3
– sentenced to long-term industrial schools and reformatories: 1,179
– birched: 92
– fined: 139
– sent to short-term or day industrial schools: 115
– discharged: 977
– parents bound over: 575
– children bound over: 104
– probation: 144
– sent to workhouse or referred to guardians: 41
That’s about a one in forty chance of a birching, then – although a father bound over because of his daughter’s misbehaviour would no doubt deal with her thoroughly when they got home from court, and I rather doubt the workhouses, industrial schools, reformatories or ‘guardians’ spared the rod.
The author explained that:
“Magistrates are less disposed to order whipping than they were, and, though nothing is more harmful than a free use of the birch, it is undoubtedly a beneficial punishment when employed with discrimination. It is soon over, it is not a public performance, the father can be present if he desires, and it is a sentence which, with that of the fine, could often be followed up helpfully with probationary supervision. No person can be whipped more than once for the same offence…”
He concludes that “whippings should be tried more often” before the magistrates opted for a custodial sentence. I can see Haron being sent to 192 immediately.