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16.2.1955AFFIDAVIT OF O. W. BUTLER DATED
I, ORMOND WILLIAM BUTLER of 15 Harold Street Holland Park Brisbane in the State of Queensland make oath and say as follows:- 1. I have been an officer of the State Children Department since 1918 and have been an Inspector of that Department from 1933 to 1953 when I was appointed Deputy Director at Brisbane. From 1956 to 1953 I was also District Officer for the State Children Department stationed at Townsville. As District Officer I was in charge of the State Children Receiving Depot at Townsville constituted under "The State Children Acts 1911 to 1952". The children received at this Depot are those admitted to the control of the Department as wards of the Department and those placed under the control of the Department by the Supreme Court and Courts of Petty Sessions. These children would all be under eighteen years of age 2. 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. 3. I have also perused a copy of each of the publications "Real Love" No. 31 "Romance Story" No. 25 "Real Story" No. 22 "Real Romances" No. 31 and "Love Experiences" No. 29 now produced and shown to me and marked with the letter "B" "C" "D" "E" and "F" respectively. 4. In conjunction with the Matron of the State Children Receiving Depot at Townsville I censored the magazines and literature addressed to the children and supplied to the Depot. I frequently destroyed publications of the type mentioned in Paragraphs 2 and 3 hereof as I considered that they were undesirable for children.
5. With regard to the said publications mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3 hereof in my opinion (a) They would appeal to the age group thirteen years to nineteen years more than to any other group and would be sought more by girls than by boys. (b) There is a constant repetition of the sex theme throughout the publications which could tend to emotional disturbances. In that regard I think the portrayal of the scenes in pictorial form would make a greater impression on the age group abovementioned than were they portrayed solely in narrative form. (c) Such publications when road by immature minds would have a weakening effect on moral values as they would arouse unwholesome curiosity with regard to sex impulses which could have an outlet in seeking similar experiences to those portrayed. This particularly refers to certain of the publications which contain illustrations that over accentuate the female figure.
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24 The 1955 Romance Comics Trial
(d) They over stress the importance of the relationship between the sexes and thus give a sense of false values of life. 6. Occasionally I have seen adults reading similar types of publications. Almost invariably the adults have been of sub-standard intelligence. 7. In Townsville whore I had most of my experience as an officer of the State Children Department it has come to my knowledge in the course of my duties as District Officer that girls committed to the State Children Depot by the Supreme Court and Courts of Petty Sessions for sexual offences had publications of this nature in their belongings and that they were avid readers of publications of this type. SIGNED AND SWORE by the above named Deponent at Brisbane aforesaid this sixteenth day of February 1955
