Italy is set to legalize chemical castration for rapists and paedophiles under a newly proposed law.
On Wednesday, September 18, the parliament in Rome approved the formation of a committee tasked with drafting laws to treat violent sex offenders with androgen-blocking drugs.
According to Politico, the treatment would be consensual and reversible, aimed at preventing reoffending.
This move is part of Italy’s Right-wing government’s broader crackdown on law and order, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The law was proposed by a far-Right faction of her coalition, which has long championed chemical castration for sex offenders.
Under the proposal, violent sex offenders could potentially avoid jail time by opting for hormone-blocking drugs.
However, opposition groups have strongly criticized the plans, calling them ‘extremist’ and a ‘violation of humanity and justice.’
Enrico Borghi from the centrist Italia Viva party questioned the direction of such laws, posting on social media: “What’s next? Tar and feathers, or rope and soap?”
Simona Bonafè from the centre-left Democratic Party argued that the proposal is ‘unconstitutional’ and undermines the foundations of Italy’s legal system, which has moved away from corporal punishment for centuries.
Chemical castration has already been introduced in countries like Kazakhstan, Poland, and parts of the United States for certain crimes.
The process involves administering hormone-blocking drugs to prevent the production of testosterone.
