Jakarta, Oct 22 (Antara) - Indonesia is planning to impose castration punishment on child rapists, or pedophiles, in a bid to combat the alarming rise in the cases of sexual violence against children in the country.
The government is still studying the legal aspect of adopting policies or a government regulation in lieu of the law on imposing gelding punishment on child sex abusers.
Relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Women and Children Empowerment, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations, and other related agencies are studying the matter.
"We are studying the legal aspect of imposing castration punishment on child rapists before we decide to issue a regulation on it," Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly stated after attending the opening of the ASEAN Law Ministers' Meeting (ALAWMM) in Bali on Thursday.
The punishment can be imparted through various approaches to reduce the libido of the offenders, such as libido neurosurgery and injections. Castration does not necessarily mean the removal of the testicles of the offenders.
Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated that the discourse on the imposition of a gelding punishment through a libido neurosurgery surfaced as part of the efforts to protect children from sexual abuse.
"If castration is considered to be a violation of human rights, then what about the rights of the children and their parents after they have become the victims of sexual crimes. What about sexually abused and addicted children?" the social affairs minister questioned here on Thursday.
She emphasized that the issues should be jointly addressed with the main objective of safeguarding the rights of children.
Parawansa pointed out that a libido neurosurgery would not be automatically conducted on the offenders, and there must be a well-defined standard, criterion, and classification.
"It could be done, for instance, on serial offenders. Sodomy often leads to a chain of sodomies, and pedophilia resulted in a series of pedophilia violence," she affirmed.
In the meantime, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) believes that the use of libido neurosurgery needs to be studied to see whether it is allowed under the Islamic Sharia law.
"We will discuss it based on the fatwa (religious advice) aspects. We will see whether it is permitted to castrate people based on the Sharia law," MUI Chairman Ma'ruf Amin noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He said that the apt punishment --- confinement, exile, or execution --- for the offenders of sexual violence against children should be studied.
"If there is no other way to create a deterrent effect other than execution, and it is allowed under the Sharia law, then the offenders should be executed," Amin emphasized.
He cited as an example those drug offenders who could be executed as other forms of punishment had failed to deter them from committing drug violence. In this case, the MUI allows granting such a death punishment.
Therefore, the ministry of law and human rights is studying the legal aspect of the idea to impose a gelding punishment for sexual crime offenders against children.
"There must be a standard set to reduce the libido of pedophiles through castration. It is not that their testicles will be removed," Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said.
Laoly said his ministry is studying the matter with the relevant parties, such as the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Women and Children Empowerment, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations, and other related agencies.
He remarked that the discourse on castration to reduce the libido of pedophiles could be implemented.
Referring to a proposal on the need to issue a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), the minister stated that it is also under study to decide whether sexual crimes against children come under the emergency category.
He affirmed that sexual crimes against children are grave in nature, and the victims suffer long-term trauma.
"It is (sexual violence against children) quite dangerous as its impacts are intangible. If there is no stern law, pedophiles will come here," he added.
According to Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise President Joko Widodo has also expressed his intention to impose a gelding punishment.
"In a limited cabinet meeting recently, President Joko Widodo said he wanted to take firm action, such as imposing castration punishment on those committing sexual crimes against women and children," she said in Jayapura, Papua, on Wednesday.
Yembise explained that men who committed sexual crimes against women and children would undergo castration through different methods, such as injections. "Castration punishment was once rejected as it is against human rights, but President Widodo said that the rights of women and children also need to be protected, and hence, such a punishment is needed," she emphasized.
The minister said that besides castration through the administration of injections, the perpetrators of sexual crimes against women and children could also be awarded a life sentence.
"Various forms of stern punishment have been imposed on the culprits of sexual crimes against women and children. We also hope that the president would agree to issue a government regulation in lieu of the law (Perppu) on the protection of women and children from sexual crimes," she remarked.
Yembise affirmed that if the Perppu is issued, the rights of women and children would be protected, and the task force set up for that purpose could begin action in the field.
The House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission VIII on religious and social affairs has lauded the government's plan to issue a regulation in lieu of the law (Perppu) on castration punishment for sexual crimes against children.
Commission VII Deputy Chairman Deding Ishak stated that the Perppu is necessary as the country is currently facing an emergency as crimes against children are on the rise.
"I praise the step taken by President Joko Widodo (plan to issue a Perppu on pedophiles)," Ishak noted on Thursday.
He affirmed that the Perppu would serve as a legal basis to fight crimes against children.
Referring to the castration punishment to be granted to child rapists, Ishak said sexual crimes against children are barbaric, and Indonesia is now in a state of emergency with regard to crimes against children.
"Castration punishment is appropriate for them," he remarked.
He pointed out that the Perppu should be issued on grounds that Indonesia is now facing an emergency situation on account of the sexual crimes being reported against children.
"This is a form of concern by the president in fighting crimes against children," he added.***2***(T.A014/INE)EDITED BY INE (T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 22-10-2015 19:02:0 |
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