News of Kazakhstan’s new law concerning sentences for convicted pedophiles has recently been making waves internationally. The law was passed earlier this year, allowing chemical castration to be carried out as a sentence for sex offenders who have committed crimes against children.
In light of this new law, President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently allocated £20,500 (approx. RM111,735) for more than 2,000 injections on men who have already been convicted.
Now, it was just announced that the first chemical castration will be carried out on a man in the Turkestan region, who was convicted of pedophilia in 2016. The procedure will reportedly be supervised by Kazakhstan’s health ministry, according to News.com.au.
According to one of the country’s senators, this form of castration will be a one-time injection that is likely temporary and “based on the necessity of preventing the man from committing sexual violence.”
Chemical castration is carried out via the injection of hormonal drugs to reduce libido and sexual activity. While libido is reduced, it does not necessarily mean that the individual will not experience sexual urges at all.
Countries like South Korea have also implemented chemical castration as punishment for those convicted of committing sexual crimes against those below 19 years old. More recently in Indonesia, lawmakers introduced chemical castration as a punishment for child rapists in 2016 after the case of a 14-year-old girl who was gang-raped and murdered on her way home from school shocked the nation.
Do you think chemical castration is a fair punishment for sex offenders? Let us know in the comments below.
Also read: Sarawak Mulls Over Castration as Possible Punishment for Convicted Rapists