Expert Medical Reports / Forensics
  Several spectacular criminal trials helped to enhance the standing of Institute physicians appearing as expert consultants. Hirschfeld, Kronfeld, Schapiro, Abraham, Wolf, Levy-Lenz and Götz drew up expert medical reports for diverse purposes: issuing transvestite certificates  1 - 4 , exempting conscripts from military service on account of their sexual "predisposition", officially changing the gender affiliation of pseudo-hermaphrodites, and, in particular, consulting the court in cases against a wide range of offenders. Hirschfeld reported that, even in the Institute's first year, he and Kronfeld had drawn up 96 such reports for major trials. This activity constituted a significant source of income for the Institute.

The majority of cases in which lawyers enlisted the the assistance of Institute coworkers involved offences in terms article 175 (homosexual clause) of the Penal Code. Mitigation of sentence was usually achieved. To quote Hirschfeld:

"The total number of years' imprisonment we have saved the accused - and the State - was by no means inconsiderable."

In line with their understanding of sexuality, Institute experts, pleaded, as a rule, in these and other cases that, in terms of article 51 of the Penal Code, the accused was not responsible (non compos mentis) for his actions at the time of the crime. Power of resistance, will and premeditation were weakened by the intoxicating effect of sexual hormones, Hirschfeld maintained.

Other renowned experts such as Albert Moll, Siegfried Placzek and Friedrich Leppmann strongly criticized Hirschfeld in this regard.

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