MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19196, 12 June 1924, Page 11

MENTAL DEFECTIVES.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. EXPERT EVIDENCE. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 11. Giving evidence Itefore the Commission on mental defectives and perverts. Dr Hilda Northcroft advocated segregation and sterilisation. She said that people who had not bad histories or tendencies might even be allowed to marry if they wero sterilised Dr Kenneth M'Kenzie said he must admit that in adult cases the desexualisation operation would have a serious mental effect. It had been too much assumed that sex perverts were feeble-minded. In actuality they wero generally by no means insane people. Before the Mental Defectives Commission Or Mildred Staley, late medical officer under the London County Council in the Borstal institute for young girls, and a specialist of wide experience in different countries where investigations have been made concerning mental deficiency and sexual perversion, submitted a paper setting out some of the fundamental provisions for delinquency and mental defectives. 1. 'lhero should be a research department and laboratory in connection with the main courts and all correctional institutions and mental defectives’ homes. 2. Adequate provision should be made for the custody of all mental cases committed whether or not they had a courtrecord. 5. All such institutions should be equipped with facilities for exact classification and tho treatment of various types. 4. A definite policy of segregation should bfe permanently adopted for certain defective delinquents arid mental deficients who were potential criminals and the victims of criminals. b. There should be an indeterminate sentence for convicted persons who by proper treatment might return to tho community and take up their full responsibilities as citizens. Without tho third provision this would bo useless. 6. The education of probationers, officials, and police, especially of women police. Lists should be kept in tho schools concerning the progress of the social relations and (bo homo surroundings of mental defectives, 7. The education of parents, teachers, and the nubile regarding the increase of crime and mental deficiency. Other points wero greater provision and assistance for orphanages and homes tor children with more efficient inspection of “boarded out” juveniles, and appointment of a specially gifted medical officer to advise lads tin training camps of sex and other matters. Ollier phases touched on were the establishment of clinics under specialists, tho strict censoring of kinernatograph films, etc., equipment for curing patients who were alcoholics or sexual offenders, full education in moral hygiene, and the abolition of the free sale of liquor. Sister Hannah submitted the views of the National Council of Women. Dr A. B. Fitt, professor of education at Auckland University College, dealt with the psychological aspects of tho problem. He advocated caution, saying that 100 many cases of mental dullness had been included m the feeble-minded class. He advocated tho appointment of psychological officers in a Mental Department just as there was a Health Department. There should be an ungraded class in each of the large schools under the charge of a teacher with special qualifications. Dr R. J. R. M'Cready, school medical officer, estimated that 1 per cent, of ilio children of school age in his part of the Auckland district were mentally defective. He suggested tho segregation of feebleminded children in farm colonies, and s]K)cial clinics for the examination of supposed mentally defective or criminal children. Epileptic children would need special facilities in a homo until free from the disease. _____