Chemical castration of paedophiles

THE ARGUMENTS FOR

If the Polish Government allows the forced chemical castration of convicted paedophiles - as has been raised in parliament in Warsaw - it will be by popular demand: a recent survey showed 84 per cent of Poles approve of the measure.

Paedophilia is a terrible crime. If sex offenders are treated, there is less chance that they will revert to abusing children after they are released from prison. For instance, the administration of libido-lowering drugs has been shown to cut reoffending rates from 40 per cent to five per cent.

The threat of chemical castration may act as a deterrent.

Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration is a humane procedure. It is already used as a treatment for prostate cancer.

Chemical castration has been implemented successfully, on a voluntary basis, in several European countries - including Sweden, Denmark and Britain - and American states.

THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST

Forced castration violates a fundamental human right. However bad the crime, no government should have the right to physically alter a prisoner's body or interfere with his ability to reproduce.

This measure has been previously used by eugenicists as a way of preventing people from breeding, by the Nazis on those they considered undesirable, and by the Swedish to forcibly sterilise mental patients in the 1970s. It isn't something that a civilised 21st century society should allow.

The process, which could involve forcefully pinning an offender down to administer the testosterone-reducing medication, is barbaric. Legislating forced castration will create a lynch mob atmosphere in which the worst sort of vigilantism will flourish.

Chemical castration has not yet been tested with the medical profession's gold standard test of using a placebo, so its effectiveness is not yet entirely proven.

This hormonal treatment will only work on the minority of offenders with uncontrollable sexual drive. It will be useless on paedophiles who molest children due to emotional, rather than sexual, needs.