THE FEEBLE MINDED

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2740, 31 May 1924, Page 3

THE FEEBLE MINDED

BEGR EG A TTON R E COATAIENDED

Wellington, Last, Night

Evidence upon the control of mental defectives and sexual perverts is being heard by the Committee set up for I lie purpose. The prevalence of sexual crime in the Dominion was disclosed in table showing the number of sexual offenders under sentence in prisons as on May .I.oth, 1924. The figures were:— Carnal knowledge and attempted carnal knowledge, 29; indecent assault, 10S; incest and attempted incest 14: sodomy and attempted sodomy, 18; indecent acts, 6; rape and attempted rape, 20; indecent exposure, 10: manslaughter 1. The total of 206 includes 21 prisoners who appear under more, than one of the above headings. The actual number of individual offenders thus total 185. The number of sentenced prisoners in -custody at May 10th was 4,071, therefore sexual offenders represent 17.27 per er-ut. of (lie prison population, or 15.7 of the sentenced male population.

Sir Robert Stout, chairman of the Prisons Board, said there were sometimes brought before ihc Board several persons of one family, who bad offended .against the laws. Tie had had one experience, in which people obtaining charitable, aid had done.so for three generations, grand fathers, father or mother and children. Rome of these cases were traced, and it was found that the grand father hail been originally in poorhouses in the Homeland. He expressed the opinion flint no person should he allowed to land in New Zealand who was mentally defective. Sir Robert summed up: “I wo nld say first that wo have to recognise the inequality of mankind; second, that heredity plays a most important part in the life of our. offenders; and third, (bat (he. State tins a right to prevent them from breeding. This could be done by confining them not. in an ordinary prison, but in homes and I think new criminal procedure should make provision lor that form of treatment.”

Evidence on behalf of the Education Department was given by jhe Director of Education, Mi- J. Cnughley. He said it seemed inevitable Unit practically every child born of even one feeble-minded parent would itself be feeble-minded. It should be made impossible for any feeble-minded person to transmit to the danger of society his feeblemindedness and he therefore suggested the registration of every feeble-minded person in New Zealand. This could be, done confidentially and at the present time was being done by the. Department. Cases could then be classified. ft seemed essential to ensure that all feeble-minded girls in particular should be thoroughly guarded. After the classification was complete "recommendations might be made as |.,i the form of care and training that should.lie provided by the Government in each case. He was satisfied that by segregation all feeb-le-minded people, and girls in particular, the present rapid increase would at once be stemmed.