A proposal to chemically castrate sex offenders will be presented to the Colombian Congress on July 20, local media reported Wednesday.
Senator Leonard Roy Barreras announced the proposal, stating that chemical castration, the administration of hormones that will inhibit sexual activity and libido, is a measure that could reduce the number of repeat sex offenders in Colombia.
“I say as a physician that rapists who kill have no chance of rehabilitation, are incurable in their criminal drive,” said Barreras, who served as a physician and professor in medical anthropology.
According to Barreras, a large number of those who have committed sex crimes will be open to undergoing hormone treatment that will inhibit criminal impulses. The method is currently being used in countries like France and South Korea.
A similar bill was proposed to Congress four years ago, but did not get passed into legislation. The proposal has recently resurfaced however following several rapes and murders of women, including that of Rosa Elvira Cely, a 35-year-old single mother whose death sparked protests in Bogota condemning violence against women that led to the creation of a specialized police unit for such crimes.
