Le’ster Recorder Orders Boy To Be Birched

Leicester Mercury, 6 January 1936 From Court To The Whipping Post Le’ster Recorder Orders Boy To Be Birched Lad Who Associated With Older Youths In Shopbreaking Others Bound Over (extracts) The Recorder, at Leicester Quarter Sessions this afternoon, ordered that a 15-year-old boy should be taken straight from the court and birched. JOHN LESLIE SWINFIELD, aged 20, shop assistant; George Price, aged 17, fitting cutter, and a 15-year-old boy appeared before the Recorder (Mr. Paul E. Sandlands, K.C.) at Leicester Quarter Sessions to-day charged with breaking and entering on December 19th or 20th the shop of the London and Provincial Wine Co., Ltd., and stealing three bottles of whiskey and two bottles of cocktails. There was a second charge of breaking and entering on December 22nd the dwelling-house of George Wilfred Roberts, and stealing a gold pocket watch, other articles, and 1s. 6d. in money, the property of George Wilfred Roberts and another. […] Swinfield and Price were each bound over for two years. To the 15-year-old boy, the Recorder said “I am going to deal with you as juvenile offenders ought to be dealt with more frequently than at present. 12 Strokes “I remember some years ago hearing a superintendent of the police who met a responsible citizen on the station. “The citizen said to the superintendent: ‘I don’t know whether you remember me, but when I was a boy I was thrashed by you for having done something wrong. I have never forgotten. I have gone straight ever since, and I can hold up my head.’ “I order you to receive 12 strokes of the birch,” was the sentence of the Recorder. He ordered the boy to be handed over to the police and the sentence to be carried out forthwith. Leicester Evening Mail, 7 January 1936 The Voice of Leicester Ethics Of Birching To the Editor of the “Leicester Evening Mail” SIR, — The fact that a 15-year-old Leicester boy has been ordered to receive 12 strokes of the birch is certain to be the cause of much discussion. It draws attention to a state of affairs which has been frequently commented upon by magistrates in all parts of the country, and that is the prevalence to-day of juvenile crime. Whether birching as a punishment for this type of crime is a sufficiently grave deterrent must be largely a question to be decided on the merits of individual cases. There is a school of thought which heartily agrees with the adage concerning sparing the rod and spoiling the child, but, on the other hand, it is a moot point whether the modern generation is treated too lightly in some respects. If a birching results in a boy being set on the right road for life, then it is certainly a good thing. MODERN PARENT, Leicester.