Madagascar wants to impose castration on child rapists

Determine a measure “Cruel, inhuman and degrading” By Amnesty International. Madagascar passed a law this week to impose surgical or chemical castration on convicted rapists of minors.

The text was adopted by the National Assembly in early February, followed by the Senate on Wednesday, and must still be approved by the High Constitutional Court (HCC) before President Andrej Rajoelli can announce it.

According to the amendment consulted by the AFP, surgical castration is punishable “Against the perpetrators of the rape of a girl child under ten years of age”. Also “chemical” castration or surgical” Against rapists of children aged ten to 13 years. and chemicals for rapists of minors between the ages of 13 and 18.

“Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”

Amnesty International called Antananarivo “Cancel” In this text, it affirms chemical or surgical castration “constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” And “will not be resolved” The issue of child rape.

Moreover, according to the NGO, this measure is not “Not consistent with Malagasy constitutional provisions against torture and ill-treatment, as well as with regional and international human rights standards”.

Madagascar, a large island in the Indian Ocean, “A sovereign country has the absolute right to change its laws” In the common interest, AFP on Friday defended Justice Minister Landi Mbolatiana Randrimnantanasoa. “Faced with rise in rape, we have to act” for “break” Incident, she added that 600 cases of rape of minors were reported last year.

“Earlier, the minimum sentence was five years” from prison. “We have added the additional penalty of castration”Which will further be pronounced by the judge, she said.

“Rape culture” on the island

Jessica Loloniri’s residence, from Movement “Women Break the Silence”Believe that there is “Rape Culture” On the island, where there are many cases “The family has settled amicably”And that castration measures can be shown “frustrating”.

Nciko wa Nciko, Madagascar consultant at Amnesty, however, regrets that the text, which “The Moral Problem”Neither “Not victim-centered”.

“Castration causes serious and irreversible damage. And we may have cases where someone is found guilty and justice reverses the verdict andInnocent”, he still argued to AFP.