Castrating paedophiles...

Why?

Well, I'd say castrating in general isn't very nice.

Neither is paedophilia.

Castrating pedophiles is not just inhumane to the pedophile, it's inhumane to the potential victims too. When people suggest a measure like this, they only look at the known pedophiles, and how the measure, if enacted, would affect them. This is grossly naive because most cases of sexual abuse are never reported, and most pedophiles are unknown as a consequence.

The castration of pedophiles, adopted as a common practice, would greatly inhibit unreported pedophiles from coming out of the closet, coming clear about their condition, and seeking help. In the long run -- and the long run is what rules and laws are made for -- this inhibition would cause much more harm to children from unknown pedophiles than any good you might expect from the castration of known pedophiles.

So you believe in "eye for an eye" then?

I mean, on the other hand, you wouldn' t get ox-tails, poulardes ... without castrating.

I don't endorse either. You are extrapolating.

Not quite... there was a question mark at the end of that sentence.

My question is, aside from some lobby groups calling out for castration of paedophiles, when and where has this actually been considered as a matter of law?

Here in England. If not by actual members of parliament, then by a large number of members of the general public. We've gone mad.

Anway, no, I don't believe in an eye for an eye. Sorry if I misintereperted. However, I wonder if this isn't more of a philosophical question, rather than a political one.

Yes, I considered putting it in the philosophy forum. I'll go and start a thread in there, see if it has better reception. :wink:

Hmm....well, at least it hasn't gone as far as parliament yet. Paedophiles to me are among the most horrid monsters on the planet, especially how they attempt to justify their actions. Castration however, I would consider to be 'cruel and unusual punishment.'

Ahh, okay, I'll look out for it.

Sensible position Thomas

except that we are not talking about the castration of people who are sexually attracted to children, we are talking about castrating men who have been found guilty of serious sexual offences against children, and who are likely to be a danger to children for the rest of their lives.

I think for the very worst of these people, where there is no alternative and where release into the community would entail a high degree of risk to children, then drug therapy amounting to castration could be an option.

[I hope the author of this thread is not talking about castration as a punishment]

It isn't clear to me that we're not talking about people who are sexually attracted to children. After all, the title of Agrote's thread is "Castrating paedophiles", and Encyclopedia Britannica defines pedophilia as a "psychosexual disorder in which an adult's arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily through sexual contact with prepubescent children." Not to split hairs about words, but the dictionary definition does seem closer to my understanding than to yours. Perhaps Agrote could clarify what he was actually talking about?

Fair point Thomas

I assumed agrote was not talking about castrating people who confessed they were attracted to children and wanted help.

I agree it would put people off coming forward.

Well, sexuality isn't just coming from "between" the legs, there's a lot of "head work" with it as well.
(It doesn't work according the 'steam boiler principle': pressure creates more pressure, which finally explodes. Only thus castration could work a bit.)

I agree, it might be a final option for those, who don't agree with therapy, who don't work along with therapy ... .
(I know of some, who were castrated according to their own wish - but only, because they didn't want to stay in therapy any longer.)

Thomas, yes, you have the right definition, there are just a couple of different spellings for the word. Part of what goes to the call to castrate these people is overwhelming evidence that they cannot be rehabilitated through jail or therapy. Many justify their disease by trying to say that the children 'wanted it', which is, of course, psycho-sexual deflection by the abuser, to assuage any feelings of guilt or immorality. Pedophila, to this day, has been a bugbear of a problem for psychotherapists and the prison system. There are many accounts of pedophiles going to prison, to be beaten, raped, abused, killed sometimes, because even hardened criminals who are not pedophiles hate them. "I may have murdered my entire family, but I never touched a kid."