THE SEX PERVERT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 15

THE SEX PERVERT.

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

MEDICAL CONFERENCE DISCUSSION. isrtcUL to ''the rr.rss.";. AUCKLAND. March o. , The problem of the sex pervert, and means by which children may bo protected from criminal assault occupied the attention ot" a combined meeting of delegates to the Medical Conference. In introducing the subject the chairman (Dr. W. H. Parkes) remarked thai the discussion would be viewed with considerable interest by social welfare organisations, which were looking to the Conference for a lead oil the matter.

Mr Kenneth Mackenzie said it was known that certain perversions were duo to grots organic disease —lor exaniplOj prostatic hypertrophy in the elderly, and here the treatment was obvious. For the rest at the present time society could be protected only by the imprisonment of offenders, 'i liis, however, was ol ten but a temporary remedy, as was thonn by reports of repeated convictions. Therefore it would seem that perpetual segregation was the only sure protection of society from the repetition of the olVeneo. fcjuch a incisure all felt bore too harshly upon an offender who miprht owe to his forebears an uncontrollable perverted sexual instinct, for that heredity was a strong factor in the matter few could doubt.

'"A patient of mine once told me," Air Mackenzie continued, "that he lived in dread of committing a sexual crime. His father was an inmate of a. mental hospital when this youth was born; his cider brother had been convicted and imprisoned for criminal assault; and he himself had had the greatest difficulty in restraining himself from assaulting small girts whom he saw bathing near his home. Jtcalisation of the existence of such cases has led to a strong desire that an alternative to imprisonment, shrill be found. Numerous grand juries have made representation in the matter. These have been passed to the Justice Department, but the Government has found itself unable to act in. the desired direction. Grave responsibility rests upon us to-tiay in our discussion, for there can be no doubt that we are looked to for a lead in the solution of this serious social problem." They were asked: <r Whafc can be done fcy an operation?" He believed that something could certainly be done and the menace lessoned by prevention of the reproduction of tho unfit, which could be limited to those who suffered from insanity, epilepsy, or marked and prolonged sexual perversion. For such people he was definitely in faivour of sterilisation. Tho crux of the discussion, continued Mr Mackenzie, must be the operation of disexualisation. It was known that legislation had been enacted in various States in America for this purpose, and a large number of operations had been performed. The history of the working of these lawtf, however, indicated that public opinion was not at present behind them. The Conference resolved, on the motion to Mr Kenneth MacKenzic: That this Conference can make 110 recommendation for surgical descxualisation in the treatment of tho adult sexual pervert. The only safeguard for young children in this matter is the permanent segregation of the offender either in prisons or on a farm for the chronic mentally and morally unfit, so that the future generation may benefit thereby. The motion was carried unanimously.