New Indonesian Law Allows Execution and Castration for Pedophiles

New Indonesian Law Allows Execution and Castration for Pedophiles.

Yunyun, the 14-year-old girl found raped and beaten to death in April. Image: BBC/RIKA KURNIA NINGSIH

Like most people, I don't like pedophiles. At all. Stick them in a cell with other violent inmates for a few years to soften the meat then give 'em the needle and save the tax payers some cash, that's what I say. In most cases, I don't agree with the death penalty, but a repeat pedophile? Well deserved. And Indonesia agrees–the parliament just passed a few very controversial laws that authorize execution and castration for pedos.

On April 2, a 14-year-old girl named Yunyun was walking home from school in Kasiah Kasubun, a small village in western Indonesia. She never made it home–she was abducted, tied up in the forest, then beaten and repeatedly raped. Three days later, villagers found her battered body, her hands still tied. As it turned out, 14 men–seven of whom were under the age of 18–were involved in the murder. When details of the case emerged in May, the country was stunned by the depravity of the act, and despite major opposition from various human rights groups and opposing parties that voted against the proposal, President Joko Widodo put the new laws into place.

The new laws state that pedophiles caught in Indonesia can be castrated, microchipped, or executed, depending on their crime. Repeat offenders or criminals who abuse their own family face minimum sentencing of 10-20 years in prison, chemical castration, and microchip tagging. Execution is saved for those who transmit an STD, or if the victims are permanently affected, either mentally or physically. It's hard to imagine a rape case where the victim isn't permanently affected.

The castration procedure isn't quite as bad as it initially sounds, though. Chemical castration doesn't involve surgery–instead, the accused is injected with female hormones. Although it's supposed to reduce sex drive and the physical ability to have sex, other countries that already have similar laws in place haven't seen a drop in sex crimes. "Other countries that have chemical castration have not seen a reduction in sexual crime against children," said Azriana Rambe Manalu, the head of National Commission for Women. "Also it's a very expensive procedure and what we should be spending and investing our money in is services to support and help the victims." It's also considered to be reversible when the drugs are stopped.

Indonesia is a popular place for predatory travelers. According to the Metro, more than 100 have been caught in the last two years from Australia alone. The new laws, however, won't be retroactive, meaning that those already in prison for sex offenses won't be affected.

Surprisingly, the use of chemical castration isn't all that rare. It's been used in various other countries including Argentina, Australia, Estonia, Israel, Moldova, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, and the United States. As of 2012, nine US states have different versions of chemical castration laws in place.

The Indonesian Doctors Association also disagrees with the laws, saying that "administering chemical castration would violate its professional ethics." They've urged their members not to take part, despite the fact that it is the law. "Now we have the harshest punishments: the death penalty, life in prison, chemical castration, the public naming of perpetrators and the electronic chip," said Dr. Yohana Susana Yembise, Indonesia's Minister for Women Empowerment and Child Protection. "These are now law, so even if you hate the idea of them everyone now has to support this."