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