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maintenance of the infant, or to any person who undertakes the nursing or
maintenance of an infant under the provisions of any Act for the relief of the
poor or of any order made under any such Act; or to hospitals, convalescent
homes, or institutions established for the protection and care of infants, and.
conducted in good faith for religious or charitable purposes, or boarding schools
at which efficient elementary education is provided.
(2) For the purposes of this section the expression " relatives" means
grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts, by consanguinity or affinity,
and in the case of illegitimate infants the persons who would be so related if
the infant ware legitimate.
THE CHILDREN ACT, 1908.
Cruelty to Children atul Young Persons.
12.—Punishment for Cruelty to Children and Young Persons.
(1) If any person over the age of sixteen years who has the custody, charge,
or care of any child or young person wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects,
abandons, or exposes such child or young person, or causes or procures such
child or young person to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned, or
exposed in a manner likely to cause such child or young person unnecessary
suffering or injury to his health (including injury to or loss of sight, or
hearing, or limb, or organ of the body, and any mental derangement), that
person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall be liable—
(a) a conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding £100, or alternatively,
or in default of payment of such fine, or in addition thereto,
to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for any term not
exceeding two years ; and
(A) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £25, or alternatively, or
in default of payment of such tine, or in addition thereto, to imprisonment,
with or without hard labour, for any term not exceeding six
months;
and for the purposes of this section a parent or other person legally liable to
maintain a child or young person shall be deemed to have neglected, him in a
manner likely to cause injury to his health if he fails to provide adequate food,
clothing, medical aid, or lodging for the child or young person, or if, being
unable otherwise to provide such food, clothing, medical aid, or lodging, he
fails to procure the same to be provided under the Arts relating to the relief of
the poor. (Authorities who may enforce this are the Guardians and the L.C.C.,
see Sec. 31, p. 51; and N.S.P.C.C., see Sec. 38, p 52.)
(2) A person may be convicted of an offence under this section, either on
indictment or by a court of summary jurisdiction, notwithstanding that actual
suffering or injury to health, or the likelihood of such suffering or injury to
health, to the child or young person was obviated by the action of another person.
(3) A person may be convicted of an offence under this section either on
indictment or by a court of summary jurisdiction, notwithstanding the death
of the child or young person in respect of whom the offence is committed.
(4) Upon the trial of any person over the age of sixteen indicted for manslaughter
of a child or young person of whom he had the custody, charge, or
care, it shall be lawful for the jury, if they are satisfied that the accused is