Final Solution

Would you castrate a rapist? If you have strong views on it, join this debate

Would you castrate a rapist? If you have strong views on it, join the debate holding centrestage in cyberspace after an additional sessions judge in Delhi said it was a measure worth discussing. Groups and forums on social networking sites were abuzz with opinions. Several members of the group True World on Facebook thought this was the only way to stop offenders. They have even started a forum called Support Castration. The moderator of the group, Gaurav Peswani, had a more nuanced take. ‘This is an irreversible procedure that leads to permanent lifelong tendencies like lowering of haemoglobin and reduction in the calcium content of the bones. Moreover, it fails to address the psychological roots of the crime. However, it [chemical castration] is still better than surgical castration, although only somewhat.’ Kamini Lau, who sparked off the debate, had suggested that Indian legislatures ought to take a strong stance on this issue by exploring alternative sentences like surgical castration or chemical castration; ‘…particularly in cases involving rape of minors, serial offenders and child molesters or as a condition of probation, or as an alternative sentence in case of plea bargaining.’ She had made these remarks while hearing a case against a man who had raped his 15-year-old daughter for four years.

» In September 2009 Poland became the first country in Europe to pass a law making chemical castration mandatory for certain sex offenders

» Sweden, France, Canada and Germany use chemical castration as a voluntary procedure

» In the US, California was the first state to specify chemical castration as punishment for child molestation. A similar law is in place in Florida too. Other states that have at some time or the other used chemical castration are Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin

»The Czech Republic has provisions for both chemical and physical castration of sex offenders

» In Turkey this year, members of the Justice and Development Party presented a bill in Parliament calling for harsher punishments for sex offenders, including  chemical castration

About The Author

Avantika Bhuyan