Affidavit of J. Geddes - Dated 22.2.1955 I, JEAN GEDDES of 15 Jephson Street Toowong Brisbane in the State of Queensland Salvation Army Officer make oath and say as follows:1. I am a Salvation Army Officer and have been in the Salvation Army for 17 years. 2. I am at present and have been for the past twelve months Matron of the Salvation Army Girls' Industrial Home at Toowong Brisbane. During 1951 and 1952 I was Matron of the Salvation Army Girls' Home at Canowindra New South Wales and during 1953 I was Matron of the Salvation Army Girls' Home at Toowoomba Queensland. Prior to becoming Matron I was a Junior Officer in Girls' and Children's Homes in New South Wales and Queensland for approximately 15 years including three years at the Home where I an now Matron. The girls at this Home are aged between 14 and 18 years of age and are committed to the Home by the State Courts through the State Children Department. A majority of the girls has been committed to the Home for offences of a sexual nature. 3. I have perused a copy of each of the publications "Real Love" "Romance Story" "Real Story" "Real Romances" and "Love Experiences" mentioned and referred to in the affidavit of HERBERT LESLIE KELLY sworn herein on the Nineteenth day of January 1955. 4. The following comments and opinions regarding the said publications are derived from my experience with girls in Salvation Army Homes. 5. They have a special attraction for adolescent girls particularly those of below average intelligence and those who are emotionally unstable or irresponsible. 6. They are emotionally exciting to such girls and prove disturbing to their morals and thoughts. I have known such girls to read publications of this type over and over again from cover to cover. 7. I have very often found that girls committed to this Home have had publications of this type in their possession. I have confiscated these publications and the girls have frequently asked for them back in most cases almost immediately. I have destroyed the publications and explained to the girls that it was not suitable reading for them and replaced the publications with a better type of magazine or other literature. 8. From time to time I have noticed that girls who have been accustomed to reading publications of the type hereinbefore mentioned have been excited and unbalanced in the presence of members of the opposite sex. This was shown by their behaviour in front of workmen employed at the Homes and by their general conduct which became unco-operative and defiant to the staff. I have also noticed that when these publications were taken from them their general behaviour subsequently improved. I noticed this particularly in Toowoomba. The girls there were aged between 12 and 15 years and were in the habit of bringing publications of this type home from school and hiding Copyright 2013 Blaq Books
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