Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Surgical Castration of Child Sex Offenders
Louisiana state lawmakers voted Monday to allow judges to impose surgical castration on sex offenders whose victims were under 13 prior to their release from prison. Inmates would face three to five years in prison for failing to comply....
Facts
- Louisiana state lawmakers voted Monday to allow judges to impose surgical castration on sex offenders whose victims were under 13 prior to their release from prison. Inmates would face three to five years in prison for failing to comply.1
- The bill was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Delisha Boyd and Sen. Regina Barrow and was passed by both Republican-dominated chambers. Boyd said she proposed the bill after reading a story about a convicted repeat child rapist.2
- The bill states that a medical expert must 'determine whether that offender is an appropriate candidate' before any surgical castration, a much more invasive procedure than chemical castration, is conducted.3
- Both men and women convicted of rape, molestation, or incest against children could face genital removals to block sex-drive hormones. While Louisiana and other states allow chemical castration, this bill would be the first of its kind.3
- If signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, the bill would only apply to crimes committed on or after Aug. 1.4
Sources: 1USA Today, 2New York Times, 3New York Post and 4FOX News.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Vice. Not only does castration provide a method of punishment, but both chemical and surgical methods also reduce the prevalence of crimes. Such solutions are even requested occasionally by the perpetrators. Evil crimes should not only be punished but also prevented.
- Narrative B, as provided by Dw.Com. While castration for sexual criminals is used by governments across the globe, its use is rare and typically only in the most dire circumstances. Even though this issue involves heinous crimes, medical and legal ethics should still be weighed heavily.
