HC Deb 20 March 1946 vol 420 cc361-5W
Mr. Benson

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give all figures available in connection with offences for which corporal punishment has been imposed during the past four years.

JAMAICA
RETURN OH CRIMES OF VIOLENCE COMMITTED DURING THE YEARS 1939-1942 PRIOR TO THE ENACTMENT OF LAW 53 OF 1942.
Offences 1939 1940 1941 1942 (6 months).
a. b. c. a. b. c. a. b. c. a. b. c.
1.Rape … … … 13 13 5 19 19 8 17 16 4 5 5 3
2. Carnal abuse (under 12) …
3. Carnal abuse (12-14) …
4.Indecent Assault … …
5. Armed robbery … … 41 23 14 47 21 11 59 36 18 84 33 14
6. Robbery with violence …
Common assault … … 73 59 33 77 65 52 95 83 71 71 53 44
7. Assault on female … …
8. Assault on female child … …
9. Larceny from person … 91 79 49 109 91 53 273 143 81 257 87 67
10. Attempt at 7 and 8 … Figure included above
a. Number of cases reported.
b. Number of persons arrested.
c. Number of persons convicted

RETURN SHOWING POSITION AFTER ENACTMENT OF LAW 53 OF 1942.
Offences. July—December, 1942 january to September, 1943.
a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d.
Rape … … … … 4 3 2 — 7 5 4 4
Carnal abuse (under 12) … …
Carnal abuse (12-14) … …
Indecent assault … … …
Armed robbery … … … 63 29 21 8 44 31 23 2
Robbery with violence … …
Common assault … … … 52 37 29 16 75 57 37 7
Assault on female … …
,,child … … …
Larceny from person … … 174 56 9 17 265 137 83 19
a.—No. of cases reported.
b. —No. of persons arrested.
c. —No. of persons convicted.
d. —No. of persons whipped.

Mr. Creech Jones

I understand that the information my hon. Friend desires is that relating to the Colonies in which legislation has been enacted during the last four years extending the use of corporal punishment, that is, in Trinidad, Kenya and Jamaica. The re-introduction in Trinidad has only recently taken place so no figures are yet available. In Kenya, from the 1st of May, 1945, when corporal punishment for adults was extended to cases of burglary and housebreaking, until the end of February, it has been imposed in twenty cases of such offences. The actual number of such crimes reported to the police in the same period was 1,587, compared with 1,457 for the corresponding period of 1944-45. Crime generally has shown an increase during the last year. In the case of Jamaica, the position is shown in the attached tables.

THE PRAEDIAL LARCENY DEFENCE REGULATIONS, 1942, DATED 17TH JULY, 1942 (REVOKED 10TH MAY, 1945).
The following figures, designed to show the effect of these Regulations, represent the figures finally revised by the Police in Jamaica:
1942.
Total Convictions. Total number of Whippings. First Offences. First Offenders Whipped.
August … … … … 45 4 27 4
September … … … … 59 22 37 13
October … … … … 64 12 50 12
November … … … … 61 19 52 10
December … … … … 73 17 55 10
Totals … … 302 74 221 49
1943.
January … … … … 99 26 58 18
February … … … … 77 18 43 11
March … … … … 52 16 36 11
April … … … … 64 16 38 8
May … … … … 70 21 47 10
June … … … … 74 22 53 13
July … … … … 69 12 54 10
August … … … … 61 22 44 14
September … … … … 89 23 56 17
October … … … … 74 16 49 9
November … … … … 80 29 53 19
December … … … … 73 19 65 16
Totals … … 882 240 596 156
1944.
January … … … … 73 27 53 20
February … … … … 62 14 31 13
March … … … … 77 21 45 17
April … … … … 76 22 38 10
May … … … … 90 30 56 23
June … … … … 66 10 51 9
July … … … …59 12 41 11
August … … … … 40 11 32 10
September … … … … 58 16 3415
October … … … … 66 16 56 12
November … … … … 76 20 59 15
December … … … … 76 20 63 14
Totals … … 819 219 559 169
1945
January … … … … 94 34 64 16
February … … … … 81 37 51 26
March … … … … 65 23 44 17
April … … … … 69 22 42 13
May … … … … 74 22 32 8
Totals … … 383 138 233 80