Madagascar has passed a controversial law allowing the castration of those convicted of child rape.
The island’s Senate has approved a law allowing chemical, and in some cases surgical, castration for those convicted of raping minors.
The move has been condemned by international human rights groups, but support has also been encouraged from Malagasy activists.
Campaigners said the law was a suitable deterrent to curb “rape culture” after ministers said 600 cases of rape of minors were recorded last year.
President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar
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“We wanted to protect the children more. The younger the child, the more severe the punishment,” said Justice Minister Randy Landriamanantenasoa.
The law is expected to be ratified by President Andriy Rajoelina, who first proposed the law in December.
Under the new law, cases of rape against children between the ages of 10 and 13 will be punished by surgical or chemical castration (not a form of sterilization, as drugs are used to inhibit hormone production). will be done.
Rape of children between the ages of 14 and 17 is punishable by chemical castration.
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Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina plans to ratify the new bill
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However, the law faced backlash from human rights group Amnesty International, which said it was “inhumane and degrading” and violated the island’s constitution.
One of the group’s advisers warned of a “lack of trust” in the country’s justice system due to “opacity and corruption”. They said retaliation against rape victims was “frequent” because complaints and trials were not conducted anonymously.
Meanwhile, campaign groups welcomed the new bill. Jessica Niboseheno of Breaking the Silence, a women’s group that campaigns against rape and supports victims, said, “There is actually a rape culture in Madagascar. We normalize certain incidents of sexual violence.” “We are in the process of minimizing the seriousness of these incidents.” .
“(The new law) is progress because it is a deterrent penalty…It prevents potential attackers from taking action…but it does not mean that we as a people recognize the existence and importance of this new penalty. Only if there are.”
Chemical castration has been proposed as punishment for sexual crimes in other countries, including South Korea and the United States.
Countries such as Nigeria and the Czech Republic have legal neutering procedures. However, it is much rarer.
Amnesty International said neutering is problematic when the person who is neutered is later acquitted on appeal.