Punishment of child molesters in Poland

While researching Roman Polanski for the thread about his arrest, I came across an unusual morsel of information: Poland has recently passed a law that makes chemical castration mandatory for people convicted of having sex with children. The law was supported by the Prime Minister, who referred to people convicted of such crimes as "degenerates". The strange thing is that I don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, it's a dangerous law that could make miscarriages of justice even more permanent than they already are; but on the other hand, anyone who is actually guilty, I feel, deserves it.

What are your thoughts?

sounds like a good idea, but chemical castration is a bit of misnomer since the process can be reversed if the offender doesn't take the treatment. So the question is, how does the government ensure that all offenders are taking their drugs?

Originally Posted by Tyras

sounds like a good idea, but chemical castration is a bit of misnomer since the process can be reversed if the offender doesn't take the treatment. So the question is, how does the government ensure that all offenders are taking their drugs?

I didn't know that. Now I'm all for it - sounds like a great idea.

Having read up a bit more on it, it seems that a single injection lasts three months, so it's very easy to keep track of who the doctor has injected.

chop the thing off... the ability to participate in sex is a gift, and if you use it to ruin someone's life... take it away.. I'm serious, they don't deserve it... burn it off to a stump.... taking pills to kill your sex drive isn't enough... I say dip it in gasoline and burn it off... they ruined a childs life, they don't deserve to even live

Originally Posted by 10n3r

chop the thing off... the ability to participate in sex is a gift, and if you use it to ruin someone's life... take it away.. I'm serious, they don't deserve it... burn it off to a stump.... taking pills to kill your sex drive isn't enough... I say dip it in gasoline and burn it off... they ruined a childs life, they don't deserve to even live

take it easy, kid.

First of all, this is to discuss their punishment in poland, not what you think it should be. And I'm all for it. Hell, it should be used here.
Secondly, they don't deserve to live? They ruined a child's life? stfu&gtfo man.

Child molestation is absolutely disgusting but to say that they don't deserve the gift of life is outrageous. And by the by, the most negative aspect of one's life can influence one positively. Who are you to say a child's life is automatically ruined because they got molested? And cutting off their dick or burning it is also ridiculous. No. It's completely unnecessary.

Take it down a notch, bro.

Chemical castrations is letting them off too easy. I'd say surgical removal of the penis would be quite appropriate aswell as a life sentence along side with menial labor.

Chemical castration sounds like a decent punishment. Not too harsh, and not too soft.

Originally Posted by Talhoffer

Chemical castrations is letting them off too easy. I'd say surgical removal of the penis would be quite appropriate aswell as a life sentence along side with menial labor.

Surgical removal is letting them off easy. Molestation of a child is one of the worst crimes in my book. They deserve to have it much worse. A major penalty like chemical castration or worse is an appropriate punishment for someone who took away a kids childhood.

I'm against any form of corporal or capital punishment, but chemical castration actually seems to fit.

To a degree it could even help in reforming- if it truly is a mental illness in a prisoner the castration will do little to affect it as it's a fascination of the mind not the body and they can be put in for psychiatric help. If it's just them being sick horny bastards it would remove any desire or ability to until their sentence, parole and everything else is fulfilled and if they can be put back into society it can be reversed...

I think I'm for it.

That's absolutely ridiculous... and something I'd expect to see in a country like Singapore, not Poland.

Why isn't a prison sentence enough? It's only because of how our society views sex that people are so harsh against anyone who commits a sex-related crime. I'd much rather be raped (assuming no diseases result) than physically assaulted. I certainly don't think it's okay to rape or molest someone, but I don't think it should be treated so different from other non-lethal forms of assault.

I suppose the idea of castration. It's more effective than a prison sentence, because it not only serves as a form of punishment, but ensures that the criminal is much less likely to reoffend.

Originally Posted by vondur

Why isn't a prison sentence enough? It's only because of how our society views sex that people are so harsh against anyone who commits a sex-related crime. I'd much rather be raped (assuming no diseases result) than physically assaulted. I certainly don't think it's okay to rape or molest someone, but I don't think it should be treated so different from other non-lethal forms of assault.

...are you serious?

Rape is a total violation of a person's body, much more so than most other forms of physical assault, and can result in long-lasting emotional trauma.

Originally Posted by Astarael

I suppose the idea of castration. It's more effective than a prison sentence, because it not only serves as a form of punishment, but ensures that the criminal is much less likely to reoffend.

So if someone punches someone, let's paralyze their arm. They would be much less likely to reoffend.

I think forced castration (chemical or otherwise) is more of a violation of someone's body than rape is, because it alters the normal function of the body. Rape, in most cases, does not decrease one's future abilities. The punishment is more severe than the crime!

Rape is a total violation of a person's body, much more so than most other forms of physical assault, and can result in long-lasting emotional trauma.

I think physical assault is more of a violation of a person's body. I'm in no way saying that rape isn't, just that physical assault, in my opinion, is worse. That is assuming no diseases or pregnancy results.

Physical assault can cause emotional trauma as well. The only reason sexual assault causes so much emotional trauma in some people is because of how sex is viewed in our society.

Originally Posted by Francois Dillinger

take it easy, kid.

First of all, this is to discuss their punishment in poland, not what you think it should be. And I'm all for it. Hell, it should be used here.
Secondly, they don't deserve to live? They ruined a child's life? stfu&gtfo man.

I know people who have been raped, it ruined their lives... a child simply isn't ready for sex and to force it on them is evil... it is one of the worst things someone can do to someone else...I know this is to discuss the punishment in Poland... I'M saying that it is too light... And no, I don't believe they deserve to live...

Originally Posted by Francois Dillinger

Child molestation is absolutely disgusting but to say that they don't deserve the gift of life is outrageous. And by the by, the most negative aspect of one's life can influence one positively. Who are you to say a child's life is automatically ruined because they got molested? And cutting off their dick or burning it is also ridiculous. No. It's completely unnecessary.

Take it down a notch, bro.

I guess your right and raping a child will be a good thing wouldn't it? Who are you to say that it doesn't affect a child negatively? You sound like a guy who thinks using their butt instead of their brain... "Oh, molestation can be good for a kid!!! lololololl rofl" shut up... you don't know how difficult it is to know that you have been violated in the worst way, do you? I know a girl, it happened three years ago, and she STILL breaks down crying when she thinks about it... so, no, I won't calm down.. child molestation is one of the WORST crimes one can commit.. end of story

Originally Posted by vondur

So if someone punches someone, let's paralyze their arm. They would be much less likely to reoffend.

I think forced castration (chemical or otherwise) is more of a violation of someone's body than rape is, because it alters the normal function of the body. Rape, in most cases, does not decrease one's future abilities. The punishment is more severe than the crime! I think physical assault is more of a violation of a person's body. I'm in no way saying that rape isn't, just that physical assault, in my opinion, is worse. That is assuming no diseases or pregnancy results.

Physical assault can cause emotional trauma as well. The only reason sexual assault causes so much emotional trauma in some people is because of how sex is viewed in our society.

You're showing an astonishing misunderstanding of what exactly makes rape a horrific crime. It has nothing to do with how society views sex (with the exception of some cultures in which the rape victim is disowned or killed by their family for no longer being a virgin). Rape victims feel degraded and completely disempowered by what has happened to them. It actually has destroyed many peoples' lives - people who have been raped often develop rape trauma syndrome, and find it difficult to function normally afterwards. Suicide attempts are significantly higher among rape victims, as well.

Originally Posted by Astarael

You're showing an astonishing misunderstanding of what exactly makes rape a horrific crime. It has nothing to do with how society views sex (with the exception of some cultures in which the rape victim is disowned or killed by their family for no longer being a virgin). Rape victims feel degraded and completely disempowered by what has happened to them. It actually has destroyed many peoples' lives - people who have been raped often develop rape trauma syndrome, and find it difficult to function normally afterwards. Suicide attempts are significantly higher among rape victims, as well.

I didn't deny that it causes many people extreme trauma and depression, I simply disagree with the reasons for why it causes this.

When someone is physically assaulted, it can cause emotional damage as well, but why is it less likely and usually less severe than the emotional damage suffered from sexual abuse? Aren't both an equal (if not the physical being worse since it is more likely to cause permanent health problems) violation of a person's body? I believe it is due to several things about how society views rape, one of the largest being because rape victims are expected to be psychologically damaged from the experience.

But regardless of all that, I don't see how it is justifiable to alter someone's normal body functions as punishment for a crime. It just seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me.

Originally Posted by vondur

Aren't both an equal (if not the physical being worse since it is more likely to cause permanent health problems) violation of a person's body?

Simply put, no.

I believe it is due to several things about how society views rape, one of the largest being because rape victims are [I]expected[/I} to be psychologically damaged from the experience.

I believe you need to do more research if you honestly believe that rape victims are traumatized because they are expected to be by society.

But regardless of all that, I don't see how it is justifiable to alter someone's normal body functions as punishment for a crime. It just seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me.

I'm not sure about chemical castration, but physical castration cuts down the chance of reoffending from about 45% down to a mere 2-3%. I assume chemical castration would probably have a similar effect. That's more than enough of a justification, for me.

Also, it's not cruel at all - child molesters have abused their sexual ability in the worst possible way. It's a just punishment.

Furthermore, some criminals have stated that they feel an uncontrollable desire to molest children, and in at least one case, have literally begged to be chemically castrated. Castration effectively removes these desires. In a sense, it's as much a treatment for abnormal behaviour that is likely to have a negative impact on other people as it is a punishment.

I think my only misgiving about chemical castration is that it could potentially be easy for an offender to simply skip the appointments.

Originally Posted by Dread

Chemical castration sounds like a decent punishment. Not too harsh, and not too soft.

What now?

Alright, so we all agree that child molestation is a terrible crime.
We all agree that courts need to send a strong and clear message that this is not allowed, and need to make people think twice before they consider it.
We all agree that child molesters need to be given a sentence that makes it highly unlikely that they'll ever re-offend.

But castration? Truly? That's a complete and total violation of a person's body and mind. It also means that the criminal can never reform (the castration removes all sexual urges, so if they do improve it's not because they're better, but because they've had surgery.) It also means that they can never have a normal life and will be very, very ill.

It's also unlikely to do much to prevent recidivism. Rapes are, mainly, about power. Sex, of course, plays a role, but not as much as one might think. Removing one's sex drive just turns it from sex and power to pure power. You haven't solved the underlying psychological issues.

I'd be all for a long prison sentence, but since "Child Molestation" is a charge that can be, in lots of places on Earth, brought against a 16-year-old having sex with a 15-year-old, I think perhaps a different, non-life-ruining sentence is needed.

They deserve it. There's just no excuse for that.

Originally Posted by John

It's also unlikely to do much to prevent recidivism. Rapes are, mainly, about power. Sex, of course, plays a role, but not as much as one might think. Removing one's sex drive just turns it from sex and power to pure power. You haven't solved the underlying psychological issues.

I agree that additional psychiatric treatment is also necessary, but I think castration has actually been shown to reduce the chance of reoffending by quite a significant amount. A study was undertaken by Sturup in 1972, which compared the recidivism rate of 107 castrated sex offenders, compared to 58 uncastrated individuals. The uncastrated sex offenders recidivated at a rate of 43%, compared to a mere 4.3% for the castrated offenders.

To those who think the punishment is too severe: would it be OK if the punishment was a long spell in prison, with an offer of early parole if you accept chemical castration? It's not a violation if you volunteer for it.