Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders | Page 2

Views; Central Association for Mental
Welfare of Great Britain, Opinion on Sterilization; Evidence in support of Sterilization;
Committee's Opinion and Recommendation; Eugenic Board's Powers 19
Section 11.--=Segregation= 21
Section 12.--=The Question of Expense=: Cost to State for Want of Supervision, Case
cited; Humanitarian and National Aspects 21
Section 13.--=Immigration=: Introduction of Feeble-minded and Undesirables from
Overseas; Medical Inspection of Intending Immigrants; System in Force; Committee's
Suggestions; Ordinary Passengers from Overseas, Medical Supervision of; "Prohibited
Immigrants," Definition of 22
Section 14.--=Summary of Findings and Recommendations= 23


PART III.--SEXUAL OFFENDERS.
Section 1.--=Scope and Origin of the Inquiry=: Prisons Board, Resolution passed;
Medical and Surgical Reports; Indeterminate Sentence; Segregation 24
Section 2.--=Seriousness of the Evil=: Sexual Offenders, Numbers serving Sentence;
Government Statistician's Return of Persons sentenced 25
Section 3.--=Types of Offences=: Sexual Offences; Various Classes, with Comments on;
Types found in Prisons; Inspector of Prisons' Opinion; Sexual Perverts, Cure of 25
Section 4.--=Suggested Remedies=: Corporal Punishment; Inspector-General of Mental
Hospitals' Recommendations; =Sterilization and Desexualization=; Castration;
Sterilization; British Medical Association, N.Z., Motion passed; Vasectomy and
Castration; Committee's Recommendation 26
Section 5.--=Scientific Treatment and Segregation with Indeterminate Sentence=:
Medical Examination; Indeterminate Sentence; Women and Children, Protection of; Mr.
Hawkins's Evidence on Control of Sexual Perverts 27
Section 6.--=Summary of Recommendations=: Crimes Act; Prisons Board, Powers of;

Psychiatrist, Appointment and Duties; Eugenic Board, Power to advise Prisons Board;
Sterilization; =Concluding Remarks= 27
APPENDIX.--=Past Mistakes in Immigration=: Extract from Report on Hospitals and
Charitable Institutions of the Colony, 1888, by the late Dr. Macgregor, Inspector-General.
=The Health of School Children=: Extract from the Report of the Director of the Division
of School Hygiene, 1924. =Return showing Sexual Offenders= serving Sentence in New
Zealand Prisons, 1924. =Table showing the Number of Sexual Offenders sentenced under
respective Headings in New Zealand Prisons. Some Illustrative Histories= 29
* * * * *
The Hon. the Minister of Health, Wellington.
SIR,--
The Committee of Inquiry into Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders appointed by
you to inquire into and report upon the necessity for special care and treatment of mental
defectives and sexual offenders in New Zealand have the honour to submit herewith their
report.



PART I.--INTRODUCTORY AND HISTORICAL.
SECTION 1.--ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF INQUIRY.
For a considerable time there has been a growing feeling of anxiety among the public
owing to the number of mental defectives becoming a charge upon the State, and also the
alarming increase in their numbers through the uncontrolled fecundity of this class.
Furthermore, owing to the frequency of sexual offences, many of a most revolting
character, there was a strong demand that some action should be taken to prevent further
acts of this nature; it being suggested that the law should be altered to make it possible
for surgical operations to be performed upon these offenders.
The North Canterbury Hospital Board considered the need for action in this matter so
great that they set up a Committee to go into the question and take evidence, which was
done, and various recommendations were made to the Government.
A perusal of departmental files reveals that many persons and social bodies have urged
upon the Government the desirability of setting up a Committee or Commission of
Inquiry to go into this subject.
The Minister of Health duly considered the representations made, and appointed the

following Committee to inquire into the question:--
The Hon. W. H. Triggs, M.L.C. (Chairman). Sir Donald McGavin, Kt., C.M.G., D.S.O.,
M.D. (Lond.), F.R.C.S. (Eng.). Sir F. Truby King, Kt., C.M.G., M.B., B.Sc. (Public
Health) (Edin.). J. Sands Elliott, Esq., M.D., Bac. Surg. (Edin.), Chairman of the Council
of the British Medical Association (New Zealand Branch). Miss Ada G. Paterson, M.B.,
Ch.B. (N.Z.), L.M. (Dublin). C. E. Matthews, Esq., Under-Secretary for Justice and
Controller-General of Prisons, &c. J. Beck, Esq., Officer in Charge, Special Schools
Branch, Education Department.
The function and duty laid upon the Committee was as follows:--
(1.) To inquire and report as to the necessity for special care and treatment of the
feeble-minded and subnormal, and to propose the general means by which such care and
treatment, if any, should be provided.
(2.) To inquire and report as to the necessity for the treatment of mental degenerates and
persons charged with sexual offences, and to recommend forms of treatment for the
various types of cases.
The Minister of Health expressed his desire that the Committee should hear such
evidence and representations on the above-mentioned matters as might be necessary fully
to inform the Committee on the questions referred to it, and further suggested to the
Committee that the various organizations and persons likely to be interested should be
notified that the Committee would, at a certain place and date, hear any evidence they
might desire to tender.
The following places were visited and inspected by the Committee: The Myers Special