The Children’s Protection Act 1896 with the full title – “An Act to Provide for the Protection of Children” (Act no. 60 Vic. No. 26) – applied to boys under 14 years of age and girls under 16 years of age. It was an offence to ‘ill treat, neglect, abandon or expose a child’ in such a way as to cause unnecessary suffering or health problems. The Court was empowered to deal with a child in such circumstances. This act was repealed by the Children’s Services Act 1965 on the 23 of November 1965 commencing on the 1st of August 1966 (Act no. 42/1965).