Articles from Aids To Forensic Medicine And Toxicology
Carbolic Acid
Death By Drowning
Viability Of Children
Blackmailing
Inheritance
Action Of Poisons; Classification Of Poisons
Dementia: Acute Chronic Senile And Paralytic
Personal Identity
Presumption Of Death; Survivorship
Sulphuric Acid
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Unnatural Offences
Trials for =sodomy= and =bestiality= are common at the assizes, but, as
they are rarely reported, they fail to attract attention. Sodomy is a
crime both in the active and passive agent, unless the latter is a
non-consenting party. The evidence of either associated may be received
as against his colleague. If the crime is committed on a boy under
fourteen, it is a felony in the active agent only. As in cases of rape,
emission is not essential, and penetration, however slight, answers all
practical purposes.
There can be no doubt that in the majority of these cases there exists a
congenitally abnormal condition of the sexual instinct, these
individuals from their childhood manifesting a perverted sexual
instinct. The man is physically a man, but psychically a woman, and
vice versā. The tendency nowadays is not to charge these people with
the more serious offence, but to deal with them under Section 11 of the
Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885 (48 and 49 Vict., c. 69). This section,
which is sufficiently comprehensive, runs as follows: 'Any male person
who in public or private commits or is a party to the commission, or
attempts to procure the commission by any male person, of any act of
gross indecency with another male person, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanour.' The penalty is imprisonment for two years, with or
without hard labour. It is provided by Section 4 of the same Act that a
boy under sixteen may be whipped.
=Incest.=--This crime is dealt with under the Punishment of Incest Act,
1908 (8 Edward VII., c. 45). Carnal knowledge with mother, sister,
daughter, or grand-daughter, is a misdemeanour, provided the
relationship is known. It also applies to the half-brother and
half-sister. It is equally an offence whether the relationship can or
cannot be traced through lawful wedlock. Consent is no defence. A woman
may be charged under the Act if she, being above the age of sixteen,
with consent permits her grandfather, father, brother, or son, to have
carnal knowledge of her.
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