and, in some cases, by the heads of their respective schools. Similarly,
there was much secondary evidence of indecent behaviour and of other
facts said to have been derived from reliable sources. The absence of
direct evidence on some of these matters, however, did not prevent the
Committee from looking at the problem in its broad general aspects, and
from reaching conclusions which could not be affected by a closer
scrutiny of some of the individual matters narrated to the Committee.




_III. Narrative_


=(1) The Hutt Valley Cases=

Before proceeding to examine the extent of sexual laxity among children
and adolescents it is convenient to narrate the factual happenings which
caused this problem to assume such large proportions in the public mind
in July and August last.

On the 20th day of June 1954 information was sought from the police
concerning the whereabouts of a girl 15-1/2 years of age who was missing
from her home at Petone. A few hours later this girl called at the
Petone Police Station. She stated that, being unhappy at home with her
stepfather, she had, since the previous Christmas, been a member of what
she called a "Milk Bar Gang" which (in her own words) met "mostly for
sex purposes"; she had "become tired of the sex life", was worried about
the future of its younger members, and desired the police to break up
the gang. She gave the names of other members of the gang to the police.