§ 67. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the remarks made by Mr. Justice Acton in the trial of William Arthur Edward Shillibeer, of Rotherhithe, at the Central Criminal Court, for murder, to the effect that it was quite clear that he was in the first instance wantonly and gratuitously insulted and provoked by a gang of boys gathered together for such purposes, and afterwards assailed by a number of those boys, who gave every indication of an intention to act together in attacking and doing violence upon him; whether the existence of this gang was known to the police before the attack on Shillibeer; how many policewomen are on the strength of the force in that division; whether any have been or detailed for duty in the Rotherhithe district; and whether, in view of the proved existence of at least one gang of lawless children, 1237 he will strengthen the division of the Metropolitan police force concerned by the appointment of additional policewomen for special duty among children in this district?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am aware of the remarks made by Mr. Justice Acton, which appear to have been based on the fact that a number of schoolboys attacked the boy Shillibeer. The existence of the alleged gang was not known to the police before the attack in question; and the attack on Shillibeer is the only incident connected with the group which has come to the notice of the police. There are two women police constables attached to the Division and they do duty, when occasion requires, in Rotherhithe, and there does not appear to be any present need for additional women police in the neighbourhood nor does the case in question indicate any such need.