The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-29 00:00:00

IMMORAL 7RAFFIC IN BELGIAN

GIRLS AZvD WOMEN.

Mr. 'Albert, interpreter to the Marlborough-
street Police-court, and one of the agents of the
Society for the Protection of Women and Children,
Duke-street, St. James's, yesterday begged permis
Bien, with the sanction of the society, of which Lord
Raynham was president, to make the following
statement to Mr. Tyrwhitt, with the view of obtain-
ing magisterial advice and co-operation in a matter
of great importance. Some short time ago the ma-
gistrates at this court had received a letter from a
foreign woman, detailing particulars of an immoral
traffic in young foreign girls and women, and stat-
ing that some of the girls were detained in a house
of ill-fame against their will, and were obliged to
give themselves up to a life of prostitution.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he perfectly well remembered
receiving such a letter, and that he had at once for-
warded it to the society.
Mr. Albert continued—The parties for whom the
protection of the law was now sought were young
girls brought over from Belgium—some under the
pretence of being provided with situations, others
without the knowledge and consent of their parents,
and all compelled to enter upon a course of prosti-
tution. The principal agent in this scandalous
traffic was a Belgian, who kept a house of ill-fame
in Marylebone, and who had already been con-
victed and punished in his own country. The
girls whom he got into his clutches had no possible
means of escape. They were supplied with clothes,
jewellery, and board at this man's expense, and no
matter how large the profits of their un-
happy life they were always brought in debt. Be-
sides being confined to the house they were fre-
quently beaten and otherwise ill-used by the keeper
of the house. The society had been at great pains
to collect evidence, and they had so far succeeded
as to be able to prove that young girls of the ages
of 13 to 15 were regularly brought from Belgium
to London ; that the person who procured the girls
in Belgium received a stipulated sum, according to
the youth and attractions of the victim. Some of
these unfortunate girls were the children of respect-
able parents ; some had even been enticed from
boarding schools without the knowledge of their
parents, and the majority had been deluded by false
pretences of one kind or other. The difficulty which
the society experience was to get at these girls to
ascertain from their lips whether they were de-
tained against their consent, and by what means
they had been induced to leave their homes. The
girls were too strictly watched for the society to
hope to get such positive proof as they required.
The proceedings of the parties here and in Belgium
had become so notorious, and the traffic so increas-
ing, that the society, who had fully prepared them-
selves with evidence, had resolved to attempt to
deal with the evil, and had authorised him to lay
the matter before the magistrates of this court for
their advice, and in the hope that they would point
out the course of law the society ought to follow to
effect their object.
Mr. Tyrwhitt suggested that some person should
be sent to tho house to collect statements from the
girls themselves privately.
Mr. Albert did not think this would be a prac-
ticable proceeding.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said there could be no difficulty in
getting access to the house, and if it was then found
that any of the inmates were kept there against
their will they might insist on being released.
Mr. Albert said it might appear strange to say
that girls could be kept in a house against their will
in this country, and perhaps it might be impossible
in the case of English girls ; but with a Belgian
girl it was different, for she was ignorant of the
laws, and being in debt and in fear of the keeper
of the house she might think he had power to im-
prison her, and even if she got free, where was she
to go ? The worst cases were those girls of tender
age who had been taken away from their parents,
some perhaps willingly, others by false statements
and promises.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he doubted whether the Ab-
duction Act applied to Belgium.
Mr. Albert—lf the mother of one of these children
came over and deposed that her child had been taken
from her care without her consent, would not that
constitute a case within the operation of the law ?
Mr. Tym hitt did not think the offence could be
dealt with here in that form, lle had no doubt
the publicity which the matter would receive would
have a very salutary effect. With respect to girls
detained, as alleged, against their will, a resort to
the Habeas Corpus Act was easy.
Mr. Albert said that would no doubt be effectual
as regarded an individual case, but the society took
higher ground—they desired not only to bring the
offenders to justice, but to put an end to the base
traffic altogether. In the Norton-street case the
authorities of Marylebone had interfered with suc-
cess. lie hoped their attention would be drawn to
this matter, which was within their district.

Some further remarks and suggestions having
been made, Mr. Albert thanked the magistrate, and
left the court.

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