DOC: MIMI DISTURBED, BUT SON WAS 'NORMAL'

Author: RON AVERY, Daily News Staff Writer

A child psychiatrist who examined 2 1/2-year-old Billy Rohrer shortly before his death found the boy "delightful, sweet and normal," but said his mother, Mimi Rohrer, showed signs of mental disturbance.

During testimony yesterday in Camden County Court, Dr. Elliott Gursky said one reason he felt Rohrer was "out of touch with reality" was her insistence that the boy was "hypersexual."

"She felt he was aware of sexual behavior and was interested in being sexually involved with women. . . There was the implication of elements of perversion - that he had shown sexual interest in her.

"The term hypersexual cannot be applied to a child of this age," Gursky said. "I've never seen a child of this age interested in adult sexual activity."

Rohrer, the wife of banker and South Jersey political leader William G. Rohrer, is on trial for allegedly beating her adopted son to death.

The family was referred to Gursky, a Philadelphia psychiatrist, in May 1975 after Rohrer allegedly told a pediatrician that Billy hated her.

Gursky met three times with the family in early May 1975. On the second visit, he suggested that Billy be placed in foster care because he was concerned about the boy's welfare.

In fact, Billy was given to another family for two or three days, then taken back by the Rohrers.

Gursky said Mimi Rohrer told him that Billy was "demanding, jealous of his sister, hypersexual and aware of all that was said."

She also told him that Billy was throwing himself against objects and trying to hurt himself. The defense claims that Billy died of self-inflicted injuries.

"I saw Billy as quite a delightful 2 1/2-year-old . . . He seemed happy, sweet. He related in a warm way to all adults. His emotional and physical development was normal," Gursky said.

"Her perception was that this child was a bad seed and evil," he added.

However, he said he found "none of Mrs. Rohrer's complaints to be true."

"Stress can cause people to think in funny ways," Gursky said. "Mrs. Rohrer had a lot of stress. She had recently adopted two foreign children (from El Salvador) who had no command of English.

"Her husband was not very interested in child-rearing and that left the burden on Mrs. Rohrer . . . I thought Mrs. Rohrer was very anxious and overburdened," Gursky added.

He said he spoke to Rohrer three days after the first visit and found ''things were getting worse. She was making less sense. She saw him not as a good person, and I was concerned she might act on that . . . anything from neglect to verbal abuse to physical abuse."

On the family's next visit, Gursky said he recommended taking Billy from the home and the Rohrers agreed.

A few days later, Rohrer called to say that

. "She said she and her husband had to work on their marriage, and if things didn't work out they would let the Bakers adopt Billy."

But on their next visit to the psychiatrist, Billy was back with the Rohrers.

"She seemed much more together," Gursky said. "She was happier and thinking clearer. And Mr. Rohrer seemed much more involved with the children."

Gursky said he never heard from the Rohrers again. Twelve days later, the boy died.

Under cross-examination, Gursky said he was sorry he had never examined Billy without his clothes to see if the boy had self-inflicted injuries. He also agreed that Billy's mother was "trying hard to help the child."

But Gursky said he did perform a neurological examination on Billy that showed the boy was normal and not hyperactive.

He also denied suggestions that Billy would be sexually precocious if he had been raised in a jail or brothel before his adoption by the Rohrers.