Poland castration law takes effect

[jujuman13]

Link
BBC News - Poland castration law takes effect

Quote(A Polish law that can force some rapists and paedophiles to undergo chemical castration has come into effect.

The legislation, passed by Polish MPs last September, applies to men who rape children or immediate family members.)

IMO this would be an excellent Law for the US to adopt.

It should also be used by the Holy Roman catholic Church for ALL their priests, perhaps we would then be regaled with fewer instances of those disgusting people engaging their sexual fantasies on children not only within the US but also worldwide.

 

[Jetboogieman]

It's a good law if humanity was perfect... but in case you haven't noticed we're a far cry from it.... you wanna add castration to the equation to make a possible wrongful conviction irrevocable?

 

[DrunkenAsparagus]

From my understanding, they wouldn't actually lop off the offending private parts, but they'd use a drug that prevents someone from getting an erection. I believe that the effects can be reversed if one is taken off the drug.

 

[Your Star]

As much as I like the idea, I can't be against the death penalty, and be for this. So no, not in this country.

 

[digsbe]

Chemical castration isn't really castration. It's more like putting a man on birth control pills. Essentially, they lose libido and the ability to get an erection. It's caused by drugs people must take, and if they don't take them the effects will ware off. Chemical castration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[1069]

Preventing a rapist or pedophile from getting an erection would not stop them from raping.
Many have erectile/ sexual dysfunctions to begin with.
Rape is about power, not sex.
If you castrated them, they'd just continue to rape victims using objects.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

If you castrated them, they'd just continue to rape victims using objects.

The nice thing about castrating someone is that it doesn't prevent you from killing them afterward.

 

[The Mark]

Having learned a bit about this "chemical castration" bit in another thread, my opinion is as follows:

Chemical castration is a completely pointless punishment method.

A few reasons:

1. It is completely temporary, and prevents nothing except the sexual functions of a male. IF it works for all males, which I’m not positive either way about.
   
2. While some rapists/rapes may be motivated partially by sexual urges, as I understand it the majority are motivated by the power and control it gives them over their targets. This method would seem to have no effect on that.
   
3. As far as I am aware, it doesn’t have any effect on female rapists (female rapists are the minority, but still…).

So, basically, I think this is stupid and a waste of funds – But if Poland wants to do it, perhaps we’ll get some actual data on how such a measure works as a punishment method.

Now, actual physical castration - Might work better, but it still has some of the same issues.

 

[Kandahar]

[*]It is completely temporary, and prevents nothing except the sexual functions of a male. IF it works for all males, which I’m not positive either way about.

Of course it's temporary; that's the whole point. If it was permanent, it would be much crueler. And I think I've read before (too lazy to look for a source to verify this) that the recidivism rate for people undergoing chemical castration is extremely low.

[*]While some rapists/rapes may be motivated partially by sexual urges, as I understand it the majority are motivated by the power and control it gives them over their targets. This method would seem to have no effect on that.

Well, it's motivated by "power" to the extent that the rapist is sexually aroused by dominating someone. So if their sexual arousal was inhibited, it would stand to reason that they probably wouldn't care that much about exercising that power anymore.

[*]As far as I am aware, it doesn’t have any effect on female rapists (female rapists are the minority, but still…).

That's no reason it shouldn't be used for the other 99% of rapists who aren't female.

IMO, "chemical castration" is a misnomer that is very unfortunate, because it makes the punishment sound a lot crueler than it actually is. Basically it just suppresses their sex drive. I don't have any problem with it, and I'm generally appalled by the severity of criminal sentences.

 

[The Mark]

Of course it's temporary; that's the whole point. If it was permanent, it would be much crueler. And I think I've read before (too lazy to look for a source to verify this) that the recidivism rate for people undergoing chemical castration is extremely low.

Interesting...

Well, it's motivated by "power" to the extent that the rapist is sexually aroused by dominating someone. So if their sexual arousal was inhibited, it would stand to reason that they probably wouldn't care that much about exercising that power anymore.

That's not how I understood it. Of course, I don't know all that much about it.

That's no reason it shouldn't be used for the other 99% of rapists who aren't female.

If it is effective in preventing further crimes, yes.

IMO, "chemical castration" is a misnomer that is very unfortunate, because it makes the punishment sound a lot crueler than it actually is. Basically it just suppresses their sex drive. I don't have any problem with it, and I'm generally appalled by the severity of criminal sentences.

Well, if it is effective in preventing further rapine (perhaps not the correct word.../shrug) by the rapists it is applied to, then I will have little issue with it.

On the other hand, as I understand it (and perhaps my understanding is faulty), it is not as effective as you make it out to be.
IF it is only marginally effective, and other methods would be more effective, then it would seem to be a waste of time.

And the severity of criminal sentences should not even be an issue here. I might easily be convinced to condone extensive torture in the case of a rapist. Although of course that is too extreme, that is my feeling on the matter.
The only thing lower than a rapist in my book is a child rapist.

 

[Arch Enemy]

I don't think the US would adopt such a measure because it is obviously against the Constitution. Although one would suggest that a pedophile is a disgusting creature, it is also true that a pedophile has a right to happiness. What is to say that a pedophile doesn't also enjoy the company of non-pedophiles?

RE: I'm not defending the pedophile.

 

[DrunkenAsparagus]

I don't see how this is cruel and unusual or otherwise unconstitutional. The effects of the drug aren't permanent.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Chemical castration is a generally good method to allow convicted sex offenders to be released from prison and be generally positive that they will not reoffend while on the drugs that cause the "castration"

Provided it was a condition of probation, and that if they missed an injection they would be thrown back in jail I am generally fine with it.


As I understand it, it is a very effective method for reducing reoffending.

 

[jujuman13]

It's a good law if humanity was perfect... but in case you haven't noticed we're a far cry from it.... you wanna add castration to the equation to make a possible wrongful conviction irrevocable?

If it were a surgical castration I would be against it for the reson you suggest.

However had you read the article you may have noticed it mentioned a chemical castration, meaning that drugs needed to be taken to continue the effect.

 

[jujuman13]

As much as I like the idea, I can't be against the death penalty, and be for this. So no, not in this country.

Then you had best pray that any children you have or may have are thoroughly protected against the depredations of a pedophile.

 

[Deuce]

I don't see how this is cruel and unusual or otherwise unconstitutional. The effects of the drug aren't permanent.

The effects of being punched in the face aren't permanent either, that doesn't mean it isn't cruel.

edit: And I'd much rather get punched in the face repeatedly than be chemically castrated.

 

[hazlnut]

I agree with this but can't give the OP a thanks because of his inappropriate dig at the Catholic Church.

The criminal acts by (a relatively small number) of priests is inexcusable and the church's handling was shameful, a total disgrace.

That doesn't change the FACT that Catholic Charities have had a profound and positive effect on more people than all other Christian ministries combined. The number of Catholic schools, universities, hospitals, missions, shelters and charities dwarfs all other western religious organizations.

The Catholic priests and nuns that I know personally have always driven second-hand cars, lived in apartments, and taken their vows of poverty seriously.

 

[Kandahar]

The effects of being punched in the face aren't permanent either, that doesn't mean it isn't cruel.

edit: And I'd much rather get punched in the face repeatedly than be chemically castrated.

I don't see what's so cruel about it. It doesn't hurt them at all or mutilate their body. Honestly, if it was called something other than "chemical castration," would you have a problem with the actual procedure?

 

[Travelsonic]

Then you had best pray that any children you have or may have are thoroughly protected against the depredations of a pedophile.

Like that's not a blatant appeal to emotion. It is almost like talking about whole body imaging and airport security. Not having WBI doesn't make your risk of death by terrorism any greater when flying [everyone still gets checked], chemical castration or the lack therefore, is not the life-or-death difference between children getting raped by pedophiles acting on their urges or not. [wait, didn't Penn & Teller do an episode of Bullsh*t on stranger danger? *hunts on YouTube*]

 

[Deuce]

I don't see what's so cruel about it. It doesn't hurt them at all or mutilate their body. Honestly, if it was called something other than "chemical castration," would you have a problem with the actual procedure?

I have a problem with people making my penis not work, yes.

Edit: And anyone who actually has a penis would consider this to be cruel

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

I have a problem with people making my penis not work, yes.

Edit: And anyone who actually has a penis would consider this to be cruel

If you used your penis to rape women or childern you dont really have the right to have it work anymore.

Untill you are deemed no longer a threat to reoffend, I would rather see a sexual offender(those that committed rape not those that had illegal porn) either be in jail or chemical castrated

I have a penis as well.

My right to have it work does not outweigh the collective right to be protected from me reoffending

 

[Kandahar]

I have a problem with people making my penis not work, yes.

Make it not work? I'm pretty sure they can still piss out of it. And as far as shutting off their sex drive, I don't see why that would possibly be a bad thing, considering their sex drive has caused them to violate other people.

Edit: And anyone who actually has a penis would consider this to be cruel

I'm sure anyone who has been raped would consider that to be cruel too. This is an effective means of preventing rapes: both the offender's own recidivism, and the offender being on the victim end as a result of a lengthy prison sentence.

 

[RedAkston]

Link
BBC News - Poland castration law takes effect

Quote(A Polish law that can force some rapists and paedophiles to undergo chemical castration has come into effect.

The legislation, passed by Polish MPs last September, applies to men who rape children or immediate family members.)

IMO this would be an excellent Law for the US to adopt.

It should also be used by the Holy Roman catholic Church for ALL their priests, perhaps we would then be regaled with fewer instances of those disgusting people engaging their sexual fantasies on children not only within the US but also worldwide.

Regarding the part in bold (my emphasis), are you wanting the Catholic church to simply perform this procedure on their priests simply because they are priests, or just on the priests that are found guilty of pedophilia/molestation?

 

[1069]

I believe it violates their right to bodily sovereignty.
They should be locked up, where they do not present a danger to society.
i do not believe they should be subjected to these drugs that alter their bodily functions.
It does not matter that they've robbed their victims of their bodily sovereignty.
That's what violent criminals do. It's a crime. That's why they're criminals.
It's not what governments should be systematically doing, however.

To me, this is similar to the idea that we should sterilize women who abuse their children.
Many people on this board would no doubt support the idea. i do not, for the reasons outlined above.
Lock them up, take their remaining children away from them permanently. Whatever.
Don't go systematically diddling with their bodily functions.

If we're going to "chemically castrate" rapists, why not amputate the arms of a guy who strangles somebody?
After all, that'll stop him from ever doing it again.
Amputate the legs of a guy who kicks somebody and severely injures them... or at least sever his spinal cord, so that he becomes a paraplegic. How about that?
Extract the teeth of somebody who bites another person in a drunken bar brawl and takes a chunk out of them.
Blind the guy who looks at child porn.

I'm just saying, i can see where this sort of "poetic justice/ eye for an eye" idea is appealing to some folks, although it doesn't appeal to me at all.
But the salient point is that it won't prevent a single rape.
It won't lower the rate at which rape occurs.
It won't even stop these particular convicted rapists from sexually abusing others.

It's ignorant. That's what offends me most about it.
It seems like a political ploy, meant to appeal to ignorant constituents.
It's got that smell about it.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Chemical castration isn't really castration. It's more like putting a man on birth control pills. Essentially, they lose libido and the ability to get an erection. It's caused by drugs people must take, and if they don't take them the effects will ware off. Chemical castration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And we all know how effective them pills is when concerning our cloning parts!
I have 2 kids from depending on such ideas.

It's a waste of time for BC - a waste of time for guys, too, I imagine.