South Yorkshire Times March 2, 1957
Denaby Girl in need of Care
Bench Told of “Wild Life”
A well developed 15 years old Denaby girl, who was stated never to have known her mother, appeared before magistrates at Doncaster West Riding Juvenile Court on Wednesday as being in need of care and protection.
The girl, who was stated to have led a “wild life” told the magistrates: “I am sorry for what I have done. If you give me a chance I will behave. I well never do it again.”
But in spite of their appealed the magistrates decided she must go to a remand home for a fortnight while a vacancy at a suitable approved school was found.
Mr K D Potter, for the NSPCC said the girl was illegitimate and in 1942 left in the care of a widow.
“The mother subsequently married and disappeared,” Mr Potter added. He said that since the girl left school last August she had had six jobs – their attendance at school was very bad. Since the widow went into hospital some months ago, he said the girl had “lied rather a wildlife and arrangements were made for her to be looked after by a neighbour. But she went to stay with another woman.”
He said the girl was lazy, stayed in bed and would not go to work. He added: “She admitted that on certain occasions she has been indecently assaulted by a man.”
Mrs Edith Copp, Children Welfare Officer, said the girl had been under the supervision of her department since 1948 and the woman looking after her and never been cooperative. She said the woman suffered from heart trouble which did not enable her to exercise proper control of the girl.
She added that since the woman went into hospital the girl had stopped at various houses in Denaby and Edlington. Mrs Copp said when the girl was visited once she was found in bed at midday. Once, she said, the girl left a job on a Friday lunchtime and for two days she looked round the shops in Doncaster and ate sandwiches on the street. Mrs Copp said the girl was dismissed from her last job as “unsatisfactory.”
Policewoman Phyllis Boss said she had interviewed the girl about certain allegations which were being enquired into in Denaby. “She would not tell the truth,” she added.
The widow looked after the girl said she was able to make the girl do as she was told. On one occasion the girl at saved her life. She said she fell out of bed during a stroke onto the fire and the girl, hearing her call, lifted her off the fire.
The Chairman (Miss EM Lindley – Wood) told the girl: “I am sure there is a lot of good in you somewhere but it’s a job to find out where it is.”
The girl was led weeping from the court.