MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 102, 1 May 1919, Page 7

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

INSTITUTION NEEDED

; SAD AUCKLAND CASE

The necessity for the early establishment of a “half-way house.” or home for partially deranged 'persons, between the gaol and the Mental Hospital, was strongly urged by the probation °mcer, the Rev. F. W. Jeffreys, during the hoaxing of a pathetic case before -Mr a\V. Poynton, S.M., in the Auckland Juvenile Court, the Herald. .Fight children, all of one family, their ages ranging from a few months to Itbyeavs wore brought before the •Court* charged with not being •under proper control. : Evidence was-given to the effect,, that the family had been, Hying m a country district for sortie time. Early wtbo Avar the father enlisted, and a lutio later he was, killed. ' The Government allowance avus thou handled by the lat* riotic Association on behalf of the semi-demented mother, who, it was B ; 1 ™ since her husband’s death, had associated yrith some foreigners, leaving her young family without adequate means of subsistence. It -was stated that the children inherited the mother s mental failing, the development of their .minds ceasing absolutely at a certain age. One of the bovs, aged 10, under observation for some months, had been noticed to. bavo no interest in common with other boys but to prefer the company of tiny children ' . A)l the children had been placed Various homes, but the probation recommended that they be given spewSf,: training in schools for pcmi- normal children. This the magistrate decided to do. , As to the mother, it was suggested that the i > emoval of her children would not benefit her condition. In agreeing to make arrangements fpr.lior, Mr Jeffrey® said i “This is an outstanding case, where the need of the half-vjfiy house’ is tragically apparent. It is a scandal to society that .therO is no official hbrrio for such Avomenr Instead, they are allowed to run wild, and to bnrdon the State with defective children.” “We are unfortunately not far enough advanced to deal Avith sort of thing yet,” said Mr Poynton.