MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Southland Times, Issue 19292, 10 July 1924, Page 8

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

MORE VALUABLE EVIDENCE. SEGREGATION FREELY ADVOCATED. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 9. To inquire into matters regarding the treatment of mental defectives, sexual perverts and feeble minded children, the special Commission of Inquiry sat up for the purpose sat in Christchurch to-day, Hon. W. H. Triggs presiding. TWO IMPORTANT POINTS. Dr. F. V. Bevan Brown stated that the most important point was to prevent the feeble minded and imbicile class from reproducing its kind. The only logical way of doing that was to place such persons in segregation. A medical tribunal should be set up to decide whether cases should be segregated and whether segregation should be absolute and another important point was to ensure humane methods of administration in segregation camps. Inspection was an unsatisfactory method. An effort should also be made to ensure that each patient was allowed to develop any particular faculty he might possess. In aswer to a question, Dr. Bevan Brown stated that in his remarks he included those people who were classed as those who could not hold their own in life. Medical men were not disposed to commit these people to a mental hospital because their relatives preferred to look after them. It was a matter of sympathy. Mr Triggs: It has been suggested that defectives should be sterilised on leaving the mental hospitals, to prevent them from reproducing their kind. Do you think that?—l don’t think that sterilisation is a wise measure usually, but sterilisation seems to be necessary in some cases. Dr. Bevan Brown thought that venereal disease often caused mental defectivesness.

THE OVERSEXED GIRL. The oversexed type of girl could be detained by the tribunal mentioned. For instance, if she had to be committed to a prison, she should not be a prisoner, but treated as a patient. There was no proper place in New Zealand for these cases. They generally found their way into gaol, which was the most unsuitable place. It was unfortunate that these people should be sent to gaol simply because they were suffering from mental disease. He would not be in favour of sterilising some of that type. The segregation institutions would be in sections, and would contain different borderline cases. Dr. C. L. Nedwill medical attendant at the prison, said that children should be examined on going into receiving homes. At the age of 16 normal cases should be sent out into the world, and deficient cases should be committed to a receiving home on the same lines as the Borstal Institute. A large percentage of girls committed to prison lacked the sense of morality. They usually told the story of unhappy home influences. There were 17 cases of sexual offenders in Paparua Prison. All mental deficients and sexual perverts should be segregated. Parents were the right people to teach sex matters to their children. Dr. Nedwill thought that the oversexed girl should be segregated. SPECIAL INSTITUTION NEEDED. Mr Beck pointed out that there was no legislative authority for holding girls of this type, unless they committed some criminal offence. Did Dr. Nedwill think there should be a special institution for that kind of girl? Dr. Nedwill: Certainly I do. These girls ought to be under the care of experts. In answer to a question by Mr Matthews, Dr. Nedwill said he thought it better to segregate cases of mental deficiency than to operate on them. There was a risk of death in an operation. Miss E. Cardale, on behalf of the National Council of Women, gave particulars of cases which had come under her own notice. Some of these were of a very distressing nature. One was a girl of 15 who was given to drinking and had a child. Several girls had no sense of morality and most of them had illegitimate children, Many of these girls were mentally weak. In one case a women had seven illegitimate children. Many children of these people were defective and tinder the care of the State. Miss Cardale said that she had attempted to have some of these cases committed to a mental hospital, but it was a difficult matter. SUPERVISION OF ADOLESCENTS. Miss Cardale considered that there should be more supervision of adolescents, and she approved of the idea of a half-way house. Miss Cardale objected to the present system of committing patients to a mental hospital by a Magistrate. Patients should not have to go to Court and be compelled to wait. Dr. A. C. Thomson, representing the British Medical Association, considered that mental cases should be classified in infancy, and then children showing deficiency should be segregated. These children should not be allowed to marry, but cnly the worst cases should be sterilised. In general, he was not in favour of sterilisation, which did not always improve the mental condition. Most cases ought to be segregated. He did not agree with trial, imprisonment and the flogging of sexual perverts. Their condition was a mental one and they should be treated by medical experts and segregated for life, if necessary. In reply to a question Dr. Thomson said that he did not know how many people would have to be segregated in New’ Zealand. DIFFICULTY OF SEGREGATION. Mr Matthews: About 10,000. Many people come here and preach segregation, but they don't realise what an immense thing it would be. The number of cases would probably be 10,000, and to segregate this number would be impracticable. Dr. Thomson thought that if venereal disease were stamped out, the number of cases of mental deficiency would decrease. Rev. Percy Revell, secretary of the Prison Gate Mission, dealt with cases of indecent exposure which had come under his notice. These seemed to him to be mental cases, and should not be placed in prison. If they were taken to a mental hospital it would be found whether they were really mental cases or not. If it were found that they were not bad mental cases, they should be let out on probation and educated on the right lines, and imbued with the right ideals. A doctor told him that exhibitionism was a form of mental disease. Mr Beck: What would you do about the man who commits offences on children?—l think he should be detained and not released until he ceases to be a menace to the community. He could be given an indeterminate sentence. The hearing of evidence will be continued to-morrow.