sessions here today. It will sit in Toronto later this week.

Justice McRuer asked Col. Lebel if his experience confirmed a general public impression that sex crimes were on the increase. Col. Lebel said that he did not think this was correct. Canada's prison population was on the increase but the proportion of sex criminals "was about the same as 20 years ago."

The great weakness of Canada's present attempts to deal with sex criminals, according to Col. Lebel and other witnesses, is that no provision is made for special treatment of sex criminals.

The law says that certain people defined as criminal sexual psychopaths may be held in prison indefinitely as a measure to protect society. But in prison no special treatment is provided for them nor are they segregated from the rest of the prison population.

Dr. Leon Martel, prison doctor at St. Vincent De Paul, said that sometimes sex criminals, and other prisoners ask for, and are given, "something to help cool their passions." He said that this was about all an ordinary doctor could do to help such people.

Col. Lebel said that a psychiatrist was attached to the prison

but only on a part-time basis and that the psychiatrist had neither the time nor the facilities to work with sex criminals.

The law relating to criminal sexual psychopaths came under attack from lawyers and psychiatrists.

A main target was the difficulty of defining the word psychopath. Lawyers complained that it was so difficult to get a judge or jury to agree on the meaning of the term that only 20 people in Canada have been committed to protective custody as criminal sexual psychopaths since the act came into force in 1948.

The result has been that the majority of people who commit sexual offenses are treated as ardinary eriminals. Some are given light sentences and are soon turned loose. Others are given long, savage sentences because their crimes are are spectacular. In almost no case are they given the opportunity to be medically treated and possibly cured.

The John Howard Society of Montreal asked in a brief presented today that the law be changed so that anyone charged with a sex offense be medically examined before sentencing and given the treatment "appreciate to his condition."

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2.4.

2,000 HEAR EXPERTS ON SEX DEVIATES AT STAR FORUM MEETING

Are sex deviates a gang of hot-eyed monsters who should be caged behind prison walls or face a surgeon's knife?

Some people think so. But they're wrong.

The average sex deviate might be the young man next door, or that kindly old gentleman down the street, or the head of the local service club. He may be an ordinary citizen or a prominent one. He can't be spotted on sight. He may go through life without being recognized. And neither a prison term nor surgery may make him change his ways.

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