CRIMINAL TYPES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8222, 10 September 1912, Page 5

CRIMINAL TYPES

LOMBROSO’S THEORY ABNORMAL MEMBERS OF HUMAN FAMILY. Before tho Wellington Eugenics Education Society last night tno Hey. J. Kayll, Official Visitor to the Prisons, lectured on ‘’Crimes aud Heredity.’’ Professor H. B. Kirk presided. Tho lecturer traced tho development of the science of criminology, with special reference to tho work of Lombroso, the great authority on the subject. In 1870, when engaged on tho study of tho insane and criminals in the asylums and prisons of Bavia (Italy) Lombroso was attracted by the skull of a noted brigand. This skull displayed a| great number of anomalies which, after examination and comparison with lower animals, led Lombroso to adopt the theory that criminality was atavistic in its origin. In tho course of his studies he discovered the equivalent of crime even among the lower animals. There was distinct evidence of this among children, many of whose acts, if done by adults, would bo clearly criminal, and were only prevented from being actually criminal by the child’s weakness. ESSENTIALLY CRIMINAL anomalies. Many recent writers seemed to think they had disposed of Lombroso’s theory hj stating that tho anomalies ho discovered among criminals were also presented by everyone living. This was in part true, but, as Lomeroso himself had pointed out, the anomalies presented i the ordinary way were not very grove. In any case, the criminal presented anomalies in much greater number than other persons, for whereas the normal man or woman might exhibit ouo anomaly or even two, thp criminal exhibited as many as live or six. ihe anomalies considered by Lombroso to be essentially criminal were the retreating forehead, the heavy jaw, detects of the brain and of tho interior of the body. They were psychological as well as physical. Lombroso declared that tho criminal type was quite as clearly defined as tho national type, and also that the characteristics ot the national type were obliterated, in the criminal; that was, that criminals of different nations presented stronger • resemblances to one another than to the normal members of their own nation, in later years Lombroso came to acknowledge that criminality was partly atavistic and partly pathological His work was still acknowledged to do the masterpiece in criminology. THE BORN CRIMINAL. In the criminal they had a man who presented characteristics which deviated greatly from the characteristics of the normal man and whose characteristics, whatever their origin, were of organic and phychic nature. The born criminal was able to exercise very great influence over his fellows. He was the most depraved of tho cnmmal class. It was he who organised crime and committed crimes which were spectacular and appealed to weaker minds. If society could eliminate the congenital criminal, the volume of crime would be reduced very considerably. The chairman said he hoped that on another occasion Air Kayil. would give the society the benefit of his researches as to how far criminality was hereditary. They could not ignore the criminal and must minimise Jiis evil tendencies as much as possible, but when more was known of the subject it would be the business of the society to prevent him being born. . .. . . Sir Robert Stout (Chief Justice), in moving a very hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, said he thought people were coming to recognise that the criminal might be looked upon as a person who had fallen short somewhat of proper normal development and that he must be treated as such; one who had impulses that he could not control. The motion was carried hy acclamation and in responding Mr Kalyl said he would be very happy to adopt the chairman’s suggestion at a later date.