Kim Soo-cheol, who was arrested for raping an elementary schoolgirl in June, reenacts his crime during the onthe- spot inspection last month. The National Assembly passed a bill last month to “chemically castrate” sex offenders but whether it will work has yet to be seen. / Korea Times file |
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff reporter
Debates are sizzling over the government’s decision to medicate pedophiles to reduce their libido and sexual activities.
When a relevant bill passed the National Assembly last month, many medical or legal experts as well as human rights activists started warning of its possible side effects such as low efficacy, budget shortage as well as human rights infringement.
According to the Ministry of Justice, those subject to the so-called chemical castration should be over 19 years old; have sexually assaulted juveniles less than 16 years old; and are highly likely to recommit their crimes. The practice requires a court order.
Drugs differ from female hormones to male hormones and others. The government believes it will lower second offense rate to 0 percent from 18 percent in four years, citing the cases in Oregon of the U.S.
The medication does not require the offenders’ consensus. Psychological therapies will be provided along. Those who were not ruled to receive chemical castration could become the subject upon prosecutors’ requests.
Those who voluntarily apply for the medication will be considered for leniency but will have to pay for their own drugs, which are expected to cost 220,000 won a month, about 3 million won a year, according to ministry officials.
The law will come into effect from July 1 next year and the authorities expect about 100 people to take the measures every year needing additional 900 million won budget for the first year.
The law was enacted couple of weeks after middle-aged man Kim Soo-cheol was caught for raping a school girl. Several similar case reports followed, raising public alarm over children’s safety. The bill, which had been put on a backburner at the parliament for two years, passed swiftly with stricter contents.
Many are not sanguine as the government about the effect of the chemical castration.
Voluntary vs. obligatory
Prof. Han Sang-hoon of Yonsei University legal department said forcing one to go under chemical castration could trigger human rights violation issues.
Currently, there are 10 countries conducting the practice including several states in the U.S., U.K., Denmark, Poland, Czech and others. Apart from Poland, all others require consensus from the subject while Poland has been widely criticized by human rights activists.
“In other countries, the main purpose is to correct sex offenders than penalize them. The assaulters voluntarily ask for the practice so that they could get away with constant impulse that tortures them or get leniency,” Han said. “The Korean government’s compulsory action could only worsen the situation,” he said.
Rep. Park Min-shik of the ruling Grand National Party have submitted the bill to the parliament in 2008. But he said the bill was revised drastically, ignoring the criminals’ human rights and aftermaths of the practice.
“My original bill subjected the practice to only those with repeated criminal records and in need of professional help. It also demanded the subject’s consensus. However, the new law is an unsuccessful attempt to calm the public anxiety without carefully seeking for its right procedures,” he said.
The National Human Rights Commission is also planning to hold a public hearing on Thursday about the chemical castration since it has found the practice “arguable” in terms of human rights violation.
Prof. Yang Hyun-ah at Seoul National University who specializes in women’s rights and have been studying victims of rape also denounces the plan.
“Any man with distorted information on sex could commit sex crimes, not those who have extraordinary libido,” she said in a public hearing hosted by The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family earlier this month.
“The more effective way to prevent further crimes is to revise the law, enabling prosecutors to indict the offenders without the victim’s complaints,” she added.
Dr. Shin Eui-jin of Yonsei Severance Hospital questioned the practices’ medical effectiveness and called for the government to establish a trial period ahead of the execution.
“I have looked into some research results and found only 7 to 12 percent of sex assaulters being effective with the medication. Moreover, once the medication is over, they will have their libido back alongside weaker sense of self-control,” she said in an interview with a local daily.
“I find therapies and consulting better because many cases stem from psychological issues. There are many kinds of sex offenders and deciding on who needs which therapies should carefully looked over,” she added.
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