MENTAL DEGENERATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 44

MENTAL DEGENERATES.

SEXUAL CRIME The Wellington branch of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children has forwarded to us a copy of a letter which it has addressed to the Prime Minister covering a rejrort submitted by it 1o him with respect to the frequency of cases of sexual offences involving children. The society’s report on the subject ’says, inter alia: The Society lor the Protection of Women and Children wishes to bring under nctico of the Government the increase in cases of sexual attacks upon children in New Zealand. The society wishes to urge upon tltf Government tho absolute necessity for better protection of young boys and girls, realising that the effect upon the victims is that of a lifelong injury and calamity. When a little girl is the victim the ruin of the body is accompanied by a stain on the mind ami soul that can never be removed. In the case of boys they become possessed of a horrible and sinister knowledge, which may return in the form of a temptation to them for the rest of their lives, and cause them to follow in the footsteps of their betrayers. The society feels that the ruin of the innocence of these children is moral murder, and as such is worthy of drastic punishment. The fact of good conduct beforehand counts for little, as such lapses may be counted as those of drunkenness, drugs, and such like, which need, years of treatment to eradicate, with the grave doubt as to the permanency of cure. The society urges that special means be taken to bring before juries the abominable consequences likely to follow the ruin of innocency, and the damage to health as well as morals, and tho society feels that it may rely upon New Zealand men who form juries to deal with sexual offenders as they would wish them to be dealt with were the assaulted children their own. The society wishes to bring under the notice of the Government the following resolutions passed recently by the North Canterbury Hospital Board: (2) Persons who have been committed to a mental hospital and are about to be discharged, on probation or recovered should not be permitted to return to family life without the sanction of a committee of experts. This committee should have the power of recommending sterilisation be fore the patient is released. (3) Any person convicted of assault upon a child should be sent to hospital for an operation. The class of persons who are most prone to this crime are often of degenerate mentality. He ventured to believe that an operation on these cases would not only prevent a second conviction, but would act as a most successful deterrent to others. With the following comment by Dr Fenwiek: —“A man who committed murder in the ordinary sense was prevented from doihg so again, because his life vr-as taken from him, and a man who committed a moral murder should be deprived of the power to do so again.” The society cites from cases reported in the press and, in view of these and other distressing cases, urges that a segregation home be provided for these people and others who suffer from being over-sexed and unable to control themselves so that they may be under continual remedial treatment, and that their detention be continued till at least two doctors, who have had their cases under steady observation, certify formally before a magistrate that they are safe to be allowed to return to ordinary life among people in general. The society brings under the notice of the Government the following resolution passed by the International Council of Women at Christiania, when there were representatives of 38 countries present: —“That the greatest menace to personal liberty and free social intercourse is the unrestrained presence of moral perverts and sexually uncontrolled persons in the community, and that universal steps be taken to segregate under medical care, until cure is effected, all persons who b-iv- nrovefi themselves incapable of sexual control by being convicted of one, or more, 3e,.uLis sexual olfences.”