tee leads them to the belief that the evil is much more
prevalent than is generally supposed--that the cases which come before
the Court constitute only a percentage of those which actually occur.

The ignorance of the general public in regard to these matters
occasionally leads to an unjust attitude of mind towards some of the
offenders brought before the Courts. Take the case of an old man charged
with "exhibitionism." To the normal mind this seems a particularly
disgusting proceeding, and the offender's age is regarded as an
aggravation. The explanation is that the higher nerve-cells of the old
man are degenerating, that he may be thus unable effectively to control
his morbid sexual impulses, particularly if stimulated by an enlarged
prostate. Such a person is a subject for pity rather than punishment; he
must be restrained from annoying others by his offensive behaviour, but
it is really a case for medical treatment.

Another class to be considered is the confirmed homosexualist. There are
well-known examples of men eminent in the arts and literature given to
this unnatural practice, and of the offenders who come before the Courts
only a small proportion can be described as feeble-minded. The practice
is not confined to the male sex, although for reasons which will be
apparent it is only males who come before the Courts charged with this
specific offence. Many parents are unaware that girls as well as boys
may contract bad habits and fall into sexual abnormalities, but it is a
fact which they ought to know in order that the danger may be guarded
against.

Mr. Hawkins, Inspector of Prisons, whose experience extending over forty
years in charge of prisoners in New Zealand makes his opinion of great
weight, says there are two types of sexual offenders to be found in our
prisons: First, there are those who yielded to sudden temptation,
assaulted women or young female children, sometimes under circumstances
exhibiting extreme brutality. In the majority of these cases, he says,
the offenders are curable under a proper system of treatment, and it is
seldom that they again offend. He goes on to say: "The real sexual
pervert, however, who is continually tampering with young children is
different, as is also the case when young boys are the victims. The
worst pervert of all is the one who flagrantly offers himself for the
purposes of sodomy. Strange as it may seem, there are quite a number of
such degenerates in our prisons