Odger's English Common Law

222 OFFENCES AGAINST MORALITY AND PUBLIC DECENCY.
any interest in the woman's property, real or personal, and if a marriage
has taken place the property will, on the conviction of the prisoner, be
settled as a judge of the Chancery Division thinks best. 1
Procuration.
The' Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885, 2 also makes
various acts of procuration of women and girls misdemeanours
punishable with imprisonment for two years, with or without
hard labour. Thus it is an offence to procure or attempt to
procure any female under twenty-one, who is not a common
prostitute, (a) to have carnal connection with any person, or
(b) to become a common prostitute, or (c) to leave the United
Kingdom with the intent that she may become an inmate of
or frequent a brothel elsewhere, or (d) to leave her usual
place of abode in the United Kingdom with the intent that
she may become an inmate of or frequent a brothel within
or without the King's dominions. 3 Any male person con-
victed of any of these offences may, in addition to the punishment
mentioned above, be sentenced to be once privately
whipped. 4
Again, by section 3, it is an offence to procure or
attempt to procure by threats or intimidation any female to
have unlawful carnal connection, or by false representations
to procure or attempt to procure any female, not being a
common prostitute, to have unlawful carnal connection, or
to administer any stupefying drug to any female with intent
thereby to enable any person to have carnal connection with
her. But no person accused of any of the above offences can
be convicted upon the evidence of one witness only, unless
there is material corroboration of that evidence. Section 8
of the Act makes it a misdemeanour to detain any female
against her will on any premises or in any brothel with intent
that she may be carnally known by any man.
The Children Act, 1908, 5 contains several provisions for the
better protection of young girls exposed to the risk of seduc-
tion or procuration. Under that Act it is a misdemeanour
1 24 & 25 Vict. c. 100, s. 63.
2 48 & 49 Vict. c. 69.
a
, S. 2 as amended by 2 & 3 Geo. V. c. 20, s. 2.
* 2 & 3 Geo. V. c. 20, s. 3.
5 8 Edw. VII. c. 67.