New Delhi, May 01:Expressing concern over the spurt in rape and sexual abuse cases in Delhi, a local court today said that lawmakers should explore possibility of permitting imposition of alternative sentences like surgical or chemical castration in such cases.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau, while sentencing a youth to ten years jail for raping her minor stepdaughter, said that alternative punishment for offence of rape should be there as it is the “crying need of the hour.”
This is a crime which requires to be addresseddifferently and a full public debate, with regard to imposition of castration (both surgical and chemical) as an alternative punishment for the offence of rape and
molestation, is the crying need of the hour,” the court said.
The court said that the Indian lawmakers should take this issue seriously as such a law is existing in many developed countries like USA, UK, Germany and others.
Ironically, the Indian legislatures are yet to take notice of this alarming situation and address the issue with all seriousness by exploring the possibility of permitting the imposition of alternative sentences of surgical castration or chemical castration in cases involving rape of minors, serial offenders …or as a condition for probation, or as an
alternative sentence in case of Plea Bargaining,” it said.
In my view it is time that we as a Civil Society stand up and also think of a law similar to the one existing in many developed countries providing for surgical and chemical castrations,” it added.
Chemical castration is administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, child molesters and other sex offenders from repeating their crimes.
In surgical castration, the testes or ovaries are removed through an incision in the body.
The ASJ said, “although chemical castration is not the perfect solution to inhibit child molestation, it certainly discourages sexual assault better than incarceration.”
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