Chemical castration is controversial

The controversy over "chemical castration" is that the treatment may violate medical ethics and violate human rights.

South Africa: It was considered in the last century

In the 1990s , South Africa was once the country with the most rape cases in the world. According to statistics, a rape case occurs in South Africa every 12 minutes. At that time, South Africa's Law Commission considered "chemical castration" for rape offenders - that is, forcibly injecting a mixture of hormones into the offender so that he would never be able to have an erection.

Italy proposes to introduce "chemical castration"

In June 2005, in response to several sexual crimes in Italy, the country's Minister of Institutional Reform and Decentralization Roberto Caldeiro Li Jing proposed "chemical castration" of criminals, drawing condemnation from the opposition.

Calderoli issued a statement saying: "I believe that 'chemical castration' needs to be introduced for sexual crimes." He also proposed that all illegal immigrants be forcibly deported from Italy, saying that "for those who have begun to practice Lynchings are not surprising.” Calderoli's statement immediately drew condemnation from Italian opposition politicians.

UK: Pilot will be launched

In June 2007, British Home Secretary John Reid announced that a pilot would be launched to provide pedophiles with drugs to suppress sexual desire. Pedophiles can voluntarily participate in treatment to control their sexual impulses with hormones and antidepressants, Reed said. British media dubbed the treatment "chemical castration."

He said: "This method has worked in areas such as Scandinavia, and it can reduce re-offending. But I emphasize that this cannot replace punishment or imprisonment." In addition, some states in the United States have The court issued a sentence that left the criminal to choose between castration or life imprisonment.

Poland: Legislation to compulsory chemical castration for rape and pedophilia criminals

In June 2010, Poland issued a law regarding the mandatory chemical castration of men who have committed rape and pedophilia crimes. The law officially takes effect. This regulation was passed by the Polish Parliament in September 2009 and applies to criminals who rape children and their immediate family members. Before the law was enacted, some parts of Poland had already begun to implement it, but usually on a voluntary basis.

Under the law, pedophile offenders will be forced to take drugs to impair their sexual abilities when released, but the court must consider the advice of a psychiatrist before ordering. Polish officials believe this gives the country some of the harshest legislation for pedophile offenders.

Controversial events

On the evening of September 11, 2009 local time in the UK, British Prime Minister Brown represented the British government to pay tribute to the famous British mathematician and German codebreaker Ai, who has passed away for 55 years. Alan Turing issued an unequivocal apology. The World War II code breaker was sentenced to "chemical castration" for being gay and committed suicide 55 years ago.

Brown said that the treatment of Turing was "appalling" and "completely unfair", and that the UK owes a huge debt to this outstanding mathematician. Brown said he was proud to issue a formal apology. "We are deeply sorry that you were not treated better." The statement signed by Brown was posted on the No 10 Downing Street website.

Turing is famous for helping to develop the "bombe" deciphering machine, which deciphered intelligence written by the German "Enigma" code machine. In 1952 he was convicted of gross indecency after admitting to having a sexual relationship with a man. He underwent experimental "chemical castration treatment." Turing was stripped of his security privileges due to his criminal record, meaning he could no longer work for GCHQ. He committed suicide two years later at the age of 41.

Turing is not only famous for deciphering codes, but he also made important contributions in the fields of artificial intelligence and computers. He is often considered the founder of modern computer science. After the war, while working at the University of Manchester, he developed the "Manchester Mark 1" - one of the famous modern computers. In 1999, he was named one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time magazine. "Chemical castration not only violates the laws of nature, but also involves issues such as humanity and human rights. The function of the criminal's endocrine glands is suppressed by external forces. It is really uncertain whether a man's normal functions can be restored after the drug expires. On the other hand, it may also It will cause permanent psychological trauma to the castrated person, and they are more likely to feel hatred and do things that disrupt social order.

Among the many opponents, the views of psychologists may be more popular with those who do. People who are infinitely optimistic about "chemical castration" feel chilled - "chemical castration" is by no means a trump card for fighting crimes. It can even stimulate criminals and have counterproductive effects, making them worse.

In psychology. According to experts, the criminal behavior of many sexual recidivists is often caused by complex family, social and other factors. If only the physiological reasons are found without examining other causes at the same time, it is difficult to imagine that rapists will become honest. The aggressive tendencies are still there, and even if they can no longer attack others with their sexual organs, they will use other tools and behave more cruelly.

No matter human rights organizations, medical experts, or psychologists, the reason why they do not treat " "Chemical castration" is regarded as a panacea. Perhaps in their view, criminals should not only be punished, but more importantly, they should be given spiritual treatment.

However, cold and simplistic physiological methods can never cure the desolation and gloom of the human heart. Just like when we deal with theft, we cannot try to solve the problem once and for all by cutting off its limbs. After all, human nature is not that simple.