Sexual Battery: Gynecological Treatment in the Mercer Reformatory, 1939-40

• Author: Constance Backhouse
• Pages: 105-130



EChapterF

SEXUA L BAT T ERY:

Gynecological Treatment in the

MercerReformatory

EVDon the edge of her narrow bed, in

alockedcel lsevenby fourfeeti nsizei nthe AndrewMercerReformatory

for Women. The cell was lit with a bare bulb. The toilet facilities consisted

ofa ne namel pail and lid Classied by lawas incorrigible because she

was pregnant out of wedlock and living with a Ch inese man, Velma was

serving atwelvemonthsentence inthe womensprisoninTorontoOneof

the fewwomen proled in this book who is still living Velma Demerson

generously consented to a series of interviews to supplement the records

ofhercaseA ssherecal lsitthat rstnightin theMercerJune she

wasoverwhelmed bya premonitionthat something dreadfu lwas about

to befall her.

Thenext morni ngVelma andfort ysixot hernew inmates were sentto

the medicalexa mining room They led in onebeh indt heot herforming

a long line from the exami ning table out into the hall. The female physician

who serviced the Mercer was dressed in a white medical c oat, with a black

band wrapped around her head. She demonstrated how she wanted the girls

to mount the table by stepping on a box. The object of the exercise was to con

ductanintern algynecological examination ofallfort ysevenwomenbefore

noon. There was no assistant present. No one took the trouble to make notes.

Thepa cewas sorapid that twoex ami nationswer ecompl etede veryve min 

utes. One of the earliest to mount the table was a girl in her last tri mester of

pregnancy. Velma was shocked at her treatment: “The girl was crying, and

we had to stand around and watch. We could see everything. There was

ﾅﾄﾊCarnalCrimes

Above: Andrew Mercer

ReformatoryforWomenc

RightVelmaDemersonage

andbrotherLeoage

Toronto

Frank W. Mickleth waite Colle ction, L ibrary an d Archives C anada, E003 8495555

Courtesy of Velma Demerson