Counsel For Parker (Press, 30 August 1954)

The trial concerning two young girls, Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, is reaching its conclusion as defence counsel, Dr. Haslam, addresses the jury. He urges them to focus on the evidence presented and to set aside any personal feelings they may have developed regarding the case. Dr. Haslam acknowledges the distressing nature of the evidence but insists it is critical for assessing the mental state of the accused at the time of the killing, which they do not dispute. The defence’s strategy hinges on demonstrating that the girls were insane at the time of the crime, thereby absolving them of legal responsibility. Dr. Haslam asks the jury to carefully evaluate the medical evidence from both sides rather than simply counting the number of expert witnesses. He outlines the girls’ troubled backgrounds, their intense friendship that began in school in 1952, and their subsequent mental deterioration, as documented in Parker’s diaries. The duo's relationship, initially perceived as friendship, soon evolved into a morbidly intense bond, wherein they engaged in fantastical schemes and elaborate fantasies, often leading to irrational behaviours. Their daily lives became consumed by a shared delusion of grandeur, culminating in an extreme emotional response which they perceived as a threat to their closeness. Dr. Haslam recounts past events that heighten the tension between the girls and Mrs. Parker, whom they believed jeopardised their relationship. The girls’ escalating delusions were noted by various doctors called in during the trial. Dr. Bennett and Dr. Medlicott provided testimonies identifying the girls' psychological states, describing them as suffering from paranoid delusions and an inability to distinguish right from wrong. Their claims of a divine calling to act against Mrs. Parker were cited as evidence of their disturbed mental conditions. Dr. Haslam emphasises the difficulty of identifying delusional insanity, asserting that the outward manifestations of the girls’ mental struggle were misleading. He refers to the defence doctors’ assertions that the girls were essentially detached from reality, acting upon distorted perceptions rather than clear moral reasoning. In conclusion, Dr. Haslam implores the jury to consider the evidence impartially and to determine whether the girls genuinely comprehended the nature of their actions amid their delusions. He submits that the girls did not possess the awareness that their actions were wrong due to their impaired judgment. He requests the jury to return a verdict of not guilty on the grounds of insanity, thereby committing the case to their "merciful keeping." The dramatic presentation seeks to shed light on the complexities of a case intertwined with youth, psychological distress, and the often blurry line between sanity and insanity.

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