Council of Europe calls for end to surgical castration

The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee on Thursday demanded an immediate end to surgical castration for sex offenders in the Czech Republic. In a report following two fact-finding missions to Czech psychiatric hospitals and prisons, the committee said the practice amounted to “degrading treatment” and that it was questionable whether the patient’s consent was always truly free and informed. The use of surgical castration for sex offenders has stirred ethical debate around the world, with Britain, France and Poland favouring chemical methods of treatment for convicted sex offenders. In the past eight years around 300 Czech patients have undergone chemical castration, with around 50 undergoing surgery. In response to the criticism the Czech minister for human rights and minorities, Michael Kocáb, said he would push for chemical castration to be used exclusively, though only if it was proven to be as effective as surgical castration.