Louisiana lawmakers approve bill authorizing SURGICAL CASTRATION for convicted child predators

06/06/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

Lawmakers in the state of Louisiana have approved a proposal to allow surgical castration for convicted pedophiles and child molesters.

Both chambers of the Republican-controlled Louisiana State Legislature put their support behind the bill on Monday, June 3. Under the approved proposal, judges in the Pelican State can sentence a convicted criminal to be surgically castrated after they are convicted of certain aggravated sex crimes – including rape, incest and molestation – against a child under 13.

With the proposal being green-lit, it now proceeds to the desk of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, also a Republican. If the former attorney general signs it into law, the Pelican State would be the first with such a punishment.

“A handful of states – including California, Florida and Texas – have laws in place allowing for chemical castration. In some of those states, offenders can opt for the surgical procedure if they prefer. But the National Conference of State Legislatures said it is unaware of any states that allow judges to impose surgical castration,” ABC News wrote.

“For more than 16 years, judges in Louisiana have been allowed to order those convicted of such crimes to receive chemical castration, though the punishment is rarely issued. Chemical castration uses medications that block testosterone production to decrease sex drive, [while] surgical castration is a much more invasive procedure.”

According to the mainstream media outlet, Louisiana’s current chemical castration law has been in place since 2019. But officials said that from 2010 to 2019, they could only find one or two cases where it was used.

Failure to comply by an offender could mean up to five more years in prison

Under the current proposal, an offender who “fails to appear or refuses to undergo” surgical castration after a magistrate orders it could be charged with “failure to comply” and face an additional three to five years in prison. (Related: Kazakhstan considering SURGICAL CASTRATION as punishment for the most heinous pedophiles.)

However, a medical expert must “determine whether that offender is an appropriate candidate” for surgical castration before it is carried out. The bill would only be applicable to criminals convicted after Aug. 1 if Landry signs it into law – meaning that the more than 2,000 people currently in jail for similar crimes won’t be ordered to undergo surgical castration.

State Sen. Regina Barrow, a Democrat, authored the proposal and sponsored it on the state’s legislative floor. While castration is often looked at as a procedure for males, she also insinuated that the bill could be applied to female offenders as well.

“We are talking about babies who are being violated by somebody. That is inexcusable,” Barrow said during a committee hearing on the bill in April. The state senator has described the measure as an extra step in punishing horrific crimes, expressing hope that the proposal will serve as a deterrent. Her GOP colleagues overwhelmingly supported the proposal, in contrast to her party mates who voted against it.

GOP State Sen. Valarie Hodges also shared the same sentiments. “This is a consequence. It’s a step over and beyond just going to jail and getting out,” she said during the same committee hearing.

Both the surgical castration bill and chemical castration bill have received pushback, with opponents denouncing it as “cruel and unusual punishment.” Some have also questioned the effectiveness of the procedure.

Other lawmakers in the Pelican State have questioned if the punishment was too harsh for someone who may have a single offense. But Barrow readily responded to this, saying: “For me, when I think about a child, one time is too many.”

Entertainment outlet TMZ wrote of the proposal: “Their bottom line is clear. This bill is meant to protect children from those who intend to do real harm.”

Watch this Russia Today report about the EU ambassador to Madagascar being expelled after criticizing the African nation’s surgical castration law for child abusers.

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