Group of Romanian MPs proposes chemical castration for child sex offenders

A group of 27 MPs from the Social Democratic Party PSD proposed chemical castration for offenders who commit sexual abuse on children. They recently filed the project, which is first to be discussed by the Senate and then by the Chamber of Deputies, reports local Mediafax. The project aims to fight and prevent pedophilia and sexual crimes against individuals’ freedom and sexual integrity. Offenders who agree to undergo chemical castration voluntarily - which resides in administering medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity - would benefit from reduced sentences. The initiators of the project argue that chemical castration prevents offenders from becoming second-time offenders. “Chemical castration is reversible and consists in administering drugs that reduce the level of testosterone, thus inhibiting sexual desires, therefore the libido is reduced and the deviant fantasies that lead to child abuse disappear,” they add in the explanatory memorandum to the project. Earlier this year, the Parliament in Macedonia adopted a bill imposing chemical castration on repeat offenders convicted of sexually abusing children. But child protection groups in the country said the law was still too lenient. The method has been used in some US states, as a punishment for sex crime offenders. In Iowa, as in California and Florida, offenders may be sentenced to chemical castration in all cases involving serious sex offenses. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com