Child rights activists in Indonesia on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 welcomed the government’s plan to use chemical castration as additional punishment for child sex offenders.
President Joko Widodo had voiced approval for a law that provides for chemical castration for convicted pedophiles, the Cabinet Secretariat said.
Arist Sirait, the chairman, National Commission on Child Protection, welcomed the proposal saying “Indonesia is facing child abuse emergency.”
“Child sexual abuse cases have been steadily increasing while our children have no proper protection,” he said.
Government data showed that cases of child abuse had jumped from 2,178 cases in 2011 to 5,066 cases in 2014.
Meanwhile, Social Affairs Minister, Khofifah Indar Parawansa said the president supported castration as a form of punishment in addition to jail terms for child sex offenders.
She added that the president planned to issue regulation containing such provisions.
Similarly, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo, said that chemical castration could involve injecting female hormone to reduce the sex drive of the offender.
Under the 2002 Child Protection Law, child sex offences are punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of 300 million rupia (21,800 dollars)
