Senator Anton Belyakov introduced a bill to the State Duma on Tuesday proposing the mandatory chemical castration of pedophiles who commit serious crimes, such as raping children under the age of 14, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the senator's written statement.
In the case of less serious crimes such as molestation, the necessity of chemical castration — in which patients are given drugs to temporarily suppress their sexual appetite — should be determined by the court, which would base its decision on the results of medical and psychiatric evaluations, Belyakov said. Currently, a medical examination is mandatory to diagnose a person with pedophilia, he added.
“According to the Interior Ministry, from 2009 to 2013 the number of rape crimes against minors aged 14-17 grew by 2.9 times, and the number of rape crimes against minors younger than 14 grew by 4.2 times,” the statement read.
Belyakov claimed that while Russian and U.S. scientists had proven that psychiatric rehabilitation for pedophiles was ineffective, the global experience of countries like Germany, Denmark, the U.S. and Poland has shown that chemical castration can help reduce the number of repeat offenses.
The bill proposes financing the measure using private funds, since the government had previously said the budget lacked the money required to implement it.
Belyakov said that mixed private and state funding of penitentiary systems has proven effective in the U.S. and Europe.
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