The New York herald., 1922-05-21
Peculiar Series Of Crimes
Result From Incongruity
in French Laws.
ASYLUM PATIENTS FREED
No Power to Detain Them if
Relatives Demand Their
Release.

Special Gable to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1929. by THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris. May 20.
A peculiar series of crimes during
the last few months, in which more
than a score of victims have been as
sassinated by persons known to have
certain periods, are again arousing pub
lie attention here to the incongruity
of French laws, even in a country
where the utmost stress is placed on
individual rights and liberty.
Only this week-the police found the
wife of wealthy doctor dead on the
floor Of her bedroom. The servant.
when arrested, admitted that she had
twice been released from asylums. and
that she could not control a desire to
kill her mistress with q hatchet.
Two days later the police arrested two
servants in the street. each of whom
declared they had an uncomfortable
desire to kill somebody. Both had been
placed in State asylums but had been
released when relatives convinced the
authorities that their condition did not
warrant detention.
The same day a carpenter who was
walking along the boulevard carry
Ing a heavy plank on his head was
seized by sudden desire to bring the
plank down on somebody else's head A
prominent advertising man was the un-
fortunate victim. He died on the way
to the hospital. The carpenter himself
confessed that he had been suffering
from mental weakness for several
years, but asylum authorities had
granted his demand for release. Under
the French law 1t Is impossible to intern
an insane or even half crazed French
citizen until he has actually committed
some reprehensible crime. Only then
can the State assert It's authority and
wipe out the individual liberty which
the Frenchman considers his God-given
revolutionary heritage. Should the
police or even the courts attempt to
incarcerate potentially dangerous cit
izen before he 1 done something to
bring him within the pale Of the law
there would be a flood OF parliamentary
interpretations and campaign against
oppression in the newspapers. and with
the Latin temperament, which Is ready
to explode at any moment. even the
gravest political changes might ensue
from the natural desire Of the police to
protect the public from the acts of
fools. Voluntary treatment or treat
ment at the demand of parents or
children is provided for by law. but a
release must be granted. whether the
mental malady has disappeared or not,
the moment the relatives demand 1t.
Frances great alienst. Dr. BRAND.
this week pointed out that both Of these
laws must be changed and the doctors
given greater power of decision as to
a patients mental condition instead
OF mental incompetents being allowed
as at present to hide behind the pro-
vision which makes the demand of
relatives more valid than a doctors s
professional decision as to a patient s
mental Improvement. He has also pro-
posed to give the police courts greater
powers of investigation with the aid
of capable alienists and as a final So
luton to grant only temporary releases
subject to semi-weekly examination
until II is considered certain that
mental normalcy has been restored.