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Convicted rapists of minors will soon be surgically or chemically castrated. The law on this was voted on in the National Assembly at the beginning of this month, and the Senate followed suit on Wednesday. The Constitutional Court must still validate the text. Human rights organization Amnesty International calls the measure “cruel, inhuman and degrading”.
Source: BELGA
Yesterday at 5:39 PM
According to the text, surgical castration is provided for “rapists of a child under ten years of age.” If the victims are between 10 and 13 years old, the judge can choose between chemical or surgical castration; for minors over 13, this is chemical castration.
Amnesty calls on Antananarivo to repeal the law because such treatment is cruel, inhuman and degrading, but also because it “will not solve” the rape of children. Furthermore, the measure is not compatible with constitutional provisions against torture and ill-treatment and regional and international human rights standards.
Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa says her country is “a sovereign country that has the right to change its laws.” She points out that 600 rapes of minors were counted last year.