Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-29
Indicted
In Hundreds Of
Sex Law Cases
Radio Speakers Soy
Police Receive Us
Complaints Yearly


Complaints Yearly
Although an average of ITS COM
plants against sex offenders reach
he Police Departments Juvenile
Bureau a year, only five cases have
in indictment in the past
,wo and half years because of the
nadequacy of existing District laws
% deal with these sex offenders.
These comparative figures were
brought out last night during a
'ound-table discussion over Station
on the need for a law strong
enough to curb sex offenders, par
,icularly those endangering children.
United States Attorney George
Morris Fay, who led the discussion,
said his check of cases since 1945
showed clearly that I'VE are not
equipped to deal with the problem"
Three Got Jail Sentences.
OF the five cases resulting in in
dictment, one offender received four
and one-half years for the hard
to-prove common law offense of
sodomy; two others were sentenced
to a year in jail; one was declared
Of unSound mind and the last case
remains to be tried, he reported.
1t. William T. Murphy of the
Juvenile Bureau, in disclosing his
bureau averages ITS complaints
against perverts annually, said only
about one-third of them result in
any court action at all. In most
cases which do reach the courts,
it was explained, the offenders are
let off with short terms or light
The head of the Juvenile Bureau
said the handicapS to prosecution
arise from the weakness of the law
as we'll as the reluctance of parents
to expose their children to a court
trial as witnesses.
On the latter point, Capt. Rhoda
Milliken of the Women's Bureau
that parents would be
more willing to permit their chill
dren to go into court if they felt
the law was strong enough to in
sure real penalties for these de-
generates.
Lack Hope in Success.
II the parents felt they were ac-
complishing something, if they had
faith in ultimate successful prose-
cution of these offenders, Capt.
Milliken declared, they would be
more willing to let their children
testify.
Both Mr.. Fay and 1t. Murphy
commended The Star for initiating
a campaign to enlist puplic support
behind the efforts of concerned Of
flclals to write strong antiperver-
sion statute.
Mr.. Fay explained that the pro-
posed statute on which the authori-
lies are in general agreement would
provide for general sex offerse
statute, a special section applying
to offenSes against children and a
sexual psychopath statute similar
to those already enacted in four
States.
DR.. Winfred Overholster, superin-
tendent OF st. Elizabeth's Hospital,
pointed out that the sexual psyche
path statute already has been
passed on by the appellate courts
in these States and found to hs
constitutional.
Will Protect Rights.
Mr.. Fay added that the protec-
ton of constitutional rights of Of
tenders would be woven into any
new statute that will ensue.
He and DR.. Overholser discussed
the protection of the constitutional
rights of an offender, in event he is
turned over for psychiatric treat
ment.
Sometimes a condition is amen
able to psychiatric treatment, but
If it does not respond there is no
reason why the public she aid be
threatened by offenders" DR., Over
holser said.
He said that in addition the prob
lem was one in which the welfare of
the offender was factor in that he
was mental problem, although not
insane.
Pointing out that psychiatrists
have no desire to let offenders loose
on the community, he urged that
those who do not respond to treat
ment should be confined indefi.
nitely.
Catoe Case Cited.
An example of a dangerous sex
offender was given in the case of
Jarvis Catoe, who was executed
here for multiple rape and murder
a few years ago. DR.. Overholser ex-
planned that Catoe started out as
an exhibitionist and ended up as
murderer because he was not
stopped early in his career by ade-
quate sex laws.
He told of another case in Mas
sachusetts when boy committed
several sex offenses and was paroled
over the objections of his mother,
only to attack and Stay a little girl.
Capt. Milliken explained that
many cases in which children were
victims are not satisfactorily COW
cred by existing laws, and listed
among such offenses indecent adj
vances, conversations and sugges-
lions by persons who were, in many
instances, abnormal themselves.
THE damage to youngsters in
such cases is of great concern to all
of U.s." she said She warned that
these people can turn from trivial
actions to more dangerous activity.
Should Tell Police.
Capt. Milliken stressed that one Of
the "disheartening things with
which the police are concerned"
Is that some sex offenders cannot
control their actions and on release
from the penitentiary become re
peaters."
1t. Murphy emphasized the i'm
portance of experimenting repeaters.
THAT is why it is necessary for par
ents, if they feel their children are
in danger, to let the police know
about it,, he said. IAN unnatural
sex offender is bound to repeat his
act" He added that If the police