Argentine Province Approves Castration for Rapists

After experiencing a rise in sexual assaults last year, an Argentine province has legalized a chemical castration process for rapists. Authorities in Mendoza met with a scientific legal committee to come to their decision to allow the voluntary chemical process. “By using medication that lowers the person’s sexual desire and with psychological treatment, the person can be reintroduced into society without being a threat,” said Mendoza Governor Celso Jaque. Thus far, 11 convicted rapists in Mendoza agreed to the treatment in exchange for a reduction in their sentences. Some experts, however, say that the treatment is reversible and ignores the fact that some perpetrators may still enjoy inflicting pain, even if their sexual impulses are curbed. In addition to Mendoza, eight U.S. states—California, Florida, Georgia, Montana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Iowa—and several European countries have already adopted chemical castration.