Indonesia castration law 'will wipe out paedophilia'

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Indonesia could "wipe out" paedophilia with its new policy of chemical castration, President Joko Widodo has told the BBC. He said Indonesia respected human rights but there would be "no compromise" when it came to punishing such sexual crimes. Indonesia passed controversial laws earlier this month authorising chemical castration for paedophiles. The laws were subject to fierce debate in parliament. The Indonesian Doctors Association says its members should not be involved as the procedure would violate medical ethics. [...] President Widodo said "our constitution respects human rights, but when it comes to sexual crimes there is no compromise". "We are strong and we will be very firm. We will hand out the maximum penalty for sexual crimes." [...]

[Dr Prijo Sidipratomo, chairman of the medical ethics committee at the Indonesian Doctors Association:] You cannot cure paedophilia by chemical castration. How long can it last? Let's say the patient has it for three years while in jail. But after his release he can go to a doctor and reverse it with hormone therapy. Chemical castration is not completely irreversible, so it is not effective. Furthermore, the punishment cannot be done as long as the executor is a medical doctor, because we have to uphold medical ethics. When you become a doctor, you have to swear that you won't do anything harmful to any human being. My message to all doctors across Indonesia is that as long as you're a doctor, you cannot do it, even if the government says it is to punish a rapist. It is harmful and it's against human rights.

source: Article < Indonesia castration law 'will wipe out paedophilia' >; www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37694475; BBC News; 19 October 2016