The European Rights Group is condemning Czech law that allows willing castration of sex offenders. I’m sorry but right away the Right’s Groups stance losses me. How can a willing punishment be considered a right’s violation? The Czech government argues the procedure is effective in reducing the number of repeat offenders.
The Czech Republic defends the practice as voluntary, saying castration aims permanently to reduce testosterone levels in order to diminish the offender’s sexual urges.
The process, officially called “therapeutic testicular pulpectomies … are performed upon a written request of an adult man,” the Czech government responded. It said the operation had to be approved by a committee of experts.
“Prior to the performance of such intervention, the patient must express his consent with its performance. Castration is considered with respect to men who cannot manage their sexual instincts and are sexually aggressive,” the Czech government said, saying the Council of Europe had not proven its case sufficiently for the country to abandon castration.
The central European country castrated at least 94 prisoners in the 10 years up to April 2008, when investigators from the Council of Europe, a human-rights forum, visited the Czech Republic. Good for them!
The Czech Republic’s practice of surgically castrating convicted sex offenders is “invasive, irreversible and mutilating” and should stop immediately, the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Committee said in a report made public Thursday.
Of course it is and fittingly so for sex offenders. Read the full story here
