Police-1959-1960 — Page 35

recovered. The remaining cases resulted from family quarrels and in each the accused attempted suicide after the assault.

Serious Assaults

102. Serious assaults increased by four cases to 439, including two of throwing corrosive fluid, both detected. 416 cases were cleared up, giving a detection rate of 95% compared with 88% in the preceding

year.

Kidnapping

103. Two cases were recorded during the year, compared with none during the year 1958/59. The first involved a Chinese male child aged three years who was located after being 'sold' to the owner of a fishing junk. A second case occurred in June, when a well-known local businessman failed to return home and the car which he had been driving was found abandoned near the waterfront; ransom notes-one of which was posted in Macau―were received. Despite one of the big- gest man-hunts in the Colony's history and large rewards offered both by police and relatives, no trace of the missing man has been found and the case remains as yet unsolved.

104.

OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC MORALITY

True cases

Cases convicted

Cases acquitted

Cases undetected Cases pending..

Nolle Prosequi

1957/58

1958/59

1959/60

123

172

156

93

126

117

7

22

5

20

23

29

2

1

5

1

105. There was a reduction of sixteen cases in this class of offence compared with the previous year; the main reduction was in indecent assaults while unnatural offences rose from four to thirteen. 81% were detected compared with 87% in the previous year.

Rape

106. Three cases were recorded during the year; one was cleared by arrest and conviction while the others--one a doubtful report, the other committed during the course of a robbery-remain undetected.

Indecent Assault on Females

107.

127 true cases were recorded during the year; 100 were detected giving a detection rate of 79%. Comparable figures for the year 1958/59 are 151 cases recorded with 129 or 85% detected.

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