The Parker/Hulme case This case is about two girls, Pauline Parker (aged 16) and Juliet Hulme (aged 15), who killed Pailine's mother, Honora Parker. This happened in 1954 in Christchurch, New Zealand

Pauline was the daughter of Honora Parker and Herbert Rieper. Mr Rieper ran a fish-shop. The couple was not legally married. Honora and Herbert had lived together for 23 years. Pauline was the second of three daughters. A firstborn son had died as a baby, and the third daughter had Down's Syndrome. Se had a relationship with Juliet Hulme, one year younger.

In June 22, 1954, Honora was found dead, badly beaten about the head. The girls' story, that the mother Pauline had fallen and repeatedly banged her head, soon fell apart; her injuries were too horrific. A bloodied half-brick and a lisle stocking were found nearby and quickly established as the murder weapon. Paulines diary was found immediately by the police and detailed their plans for the crime: Pauline and later Juliet Hulme were charged with murder.

But what had prompted Pauline and Juliet to kill Pauline's mother one fine winter afternoon in a popular hillside recreation area? The case brought together several disturbing elements - females who stepped outside the expected gender role by becoming perpetrators rather than victims of a violent crime, and the frightening prospect of young girl delinquents as killers. Other entries in Pauline's diary suggested a sexual relationship between the girls, and this helped to establish the crime as one linking the twin spectres of lesbianism and murder.

The two elements of Pauline's diary on which attention has focussed since selected entries were presented at the trial are the gangster-movie tone in which they planned the killing ("moider") and the sexual relations between the girls. A passage about the girls re-enacting lovemaking between famous (heterosexual) couples was a particular favourite of the tabloids. Their friendship was passionate and mutual, but whether it can be called lesbian as we now understand the term is a matter of opinion. It was certainly depicted as lesbian in the courtroom by both the prosecution and the defence, and entered New Zealand mythology on homosexuality as a cautionary tale with which to warn women, and especially young girls, of the possible consequences of such "unnatural" relationships. The trial was a cause celebre, crowds packing every session. The defence conceded the fact of the killing, but attempted to prove the girls "mad"; the prosecution that they were just "bad". Dr Medlicott diagnosed chronic delusional insanity - paranoia. Local psychiatrist Dr Maurice Bevan-Brown was to publish a paper (without ever having seen the girls) diagnosing "Pathological Character Trait". ("Homosexuality in late adolescence is always a sign of emotional immaturity," he wrote.) Dr Kenneth Stallworthy for the prosecution disputed that homosexuality and paranoia were closely related. It took the jury less than three hours to find both girls guilty of murder.

Since they were under 18, they could not be sentenced to death, so they were imprisoned "during Her Majesty's pleasure." Juliet was sent to Mount Eden Prison and Pauline to Paparua Prision for a time while a new secure unit was completed at Arohata near Wellington. Pauline had the company of other young offenders. Early in her incarceration Pauline converted to Roman Catholicism and apparently became a devout Catholic. The pair entered a penal system undergoing reform and during their five years in custody the emphasis swung toward rehabilitation rather than punishment, although the conditions at Mount Eden in which Hulme was kept were primitive and unpleasant. They were not allowed to write to each other. Pauline enrolled in courses in English, French, Latin, Mathematics, Drawing and Design and, later, Maori. She completed University Entrance and made considerable progress towards her Bachelor of Arts degree, eventually completing it soon after her release from prison.They were released separately after five years, and apparently never saw each other again

Juliet left the country within days of her release to join her mother, Hilda Hulme, and Walter Perry, who had married during her jail term. Walter Perry was a former boarder of the Hulmes and Juliet adopted their surname, changing her name into Anne Perry. Three years after her release she was in England working as an air stewardess in Northumberland. By the mid-1980s she was working as a buyer for a department store and then a property underwriter.From 1967 to 1972 she lived in California. Anne Perry now lives in Portmahomack in north-east Scotland, with a string of critically acclaimed murder mystery books to her credit, the first published in 1979.

In late 1959, Pauline was furnished with a new identity, including a new name, Hilary Nathan, and released on parole. She attended Auckland University, mixed in the Auckland lesbian community and told at least one lover about her past. During her parole she was subject to controls in terms of her movements and her employment and she was closely monitored. Department of Justice officials noted their concern over her association with lesbians during her probation period, a good indication of the scrutiny under which she was placed. It also illustrates the type of official labelling, discrimination and repercussions. Hilary Nathan remained on parole until 1965. Apparently, upon her release from parole she moved from New Zealand to England. She settled in Hoo, near Rochester, Kent, retrained as a teacher, and taught mentally handicapped children at Abbey Court special school in Strood until her retirement in 1994, by which time she had become deputy headmistress. She is a regular worshipper at English Martyrs' Roman Catholic Church in the town, where members of the congregation were astonished to learn of her past.

Sources
- HC FAQ
- Hugh Young and Alison J. Laurie, Queer History New Zealand
- The Press, august 6, 1994
- The Express, Jan. 6 1997