Comments on: Chemical castration for rapists?

By: Elisa

Elisa — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:46:22 +0000

Wow paddy II, the only person who would try to make an argument that children can consent to sex and fully understand the consequences repercussions before adolescence, is someone trying to justify their own actions. As a childcare professional I can tell you that the brain is not fully developed until 25, and that children sure as hell are not developed mentally enough to make sexual decisions (ESPECIALLY WITH A GODDAMNED ADULT) pre-puberty! They may very well do things differently in other cultures but that doesn’t make it right or scientifically accurate. To try to lay equal or ANY blame on a child is a sick thing. I for one am all for the death penalty for any kind of rapist. This chemical crap is far too lenient.

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By: Neil

Neil — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:14:20 +0000

Just throw them in polsmoor prison for a few nights..
We will see how they like being treated at the hands of the numbers gangs. they will definately get a taste of their own medicine

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By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:51:03 +0000

For starters, no one is talking about cutting anything off here. This is a chemical procedure that reduces testosterone production in men. It is the same drug that some women take for birth control once every three months.

It is completely reversible; all one has to do is stop taking the medication. As such, it requires constant oversight to ensure the drug continues to be used. This also means that if the judge gets it wrong, the situation may be corrected, and may even be less traumatic than prison.

My concern is how far this will be taken. As it is a testosterone inhibitor, it may reduce not only sexual, but violent tendencies. Will we expand the class of offenders using the drug to all those who commit violent and/or sexual crimes? And what if there is a link between testosterone and all crimes? The vast majority of the population in prison is male. Do we chemically castrate all of them and incarcerate only those for whom castration is ineffective?

Also, castration is a complete misnomer here. From what I’ve read, the drug would not interfere with a man’s ability to procreate or to enjoy the act of sex itself; it merely limits (and perhaps in some cases, eliminates) his desire to do so. Furthermore, it appears that the drug would have to be administered in very high doses to be effective.

I’m not sure where I stand on this issue. I think some very tough issues need to be resolved first.

As for cutting off goolies and whatnot, I would suggest looking into the problem of wrongful conviction and how many convicted rapists were cleared after DNA tests were done…what would be the recourse for them had they been physically castrated?

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By: Sandra Pow Chong

Sandra Pow Chong — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:10:43 +0000

paedos get what they deserve.

yes we’re all humans but when you abuse your rights by hurting innocent young children by scarring them mentally, physically and emotionally forever it doesn’t matter what the frame of mind of the perpetrator is, he/she must face whatever the punishment imposed on him/her.

as merciless as the molestor was to their victim so shall the law be merciless unto them in the same way.

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By: Jeanette

Jeanette — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:16:11 +0000

@Paddy
Having sexual urges toward small children might be how the paedophile has been wired but it is anathema to act upon those urges for two reasons. The child’s awakening sexuality is always manipulated to the benefit of the manipulator - the adult. This causes all kinds of problems in later life. Ask any woman or man who was abused as a child. Somehow, children inherently know that the adult’s behaviour is wrong, but they are powerless, especially where the abuser is a parent. Second, those little bodies have simply not been designed to engage in sexual activity at such a tender age. The combination then of manipulation, and physical coercion is incredibly destructive and quite simply, inhumane. Of course children have sexuality, but it is budding sexuality which should only be engaged in when the young person has matured physically and where there is a consensual realtionship that will not involve manipulation, or physical harm. Paddy methinks you protest too much. I don’t have an answer, but I believe that you forfeit your rights when you impose them on those who have no voice to defend their own.

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By: Michael Trapido

Michael Trapido — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:28:36 +0000

Seems to me that sex offenders are as much reviled in general as they are in prison.

Paedophiles are in serious trouble as soon as the prison door closes behind them.

One of my Zulu clients when I visited him at Diepkloof used to tell me that he was charging R50 a klap for a certain well publicized prisoner who the public couldn’t get to except via him.

Not the place to be if you molest children.

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By: Lyndall Beddy

Lyndall Beddy — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:23:37 +0000

This would not even have to be discussed if the death penelty was back - the rapist of a 1 or 4 year old child would be history!

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By: Jostvandike

Jostvandike — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:45:50 +0000

PaddyII,
Having intercourse with a 1 year old girl, sodomising a 2 year boy? You lost your ‘human rights’. I AM a most blinkered person. Chemical castration - I’m all for it.

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By: Coen

Coen — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:46:04 +0000

@Paddy II
So sorry I was dumb, what was I thinking. But you know, in my stupidity I have worked with children and children that became adults that was molested when they were young, and although I don’t understand the term, “Paedophiles are people too:” due to you know what, their lives where in general pretty messed up. Not theoretically, analytically or ’suck nonsense out of my thumb’ messed up. And using swear words to bring the point across also sends a bit of a violent message. WTF. CUT OFF THE GOOLIES Paddy…

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By: Michael Trapido

Michael Trapido — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:47:10 +0000

At one point would you introduce this measure - upon conviction or after appeal?

Magistrates and judges have been known to get it wrong.

Often.

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