Russia is moving towards the forced chemical castration of paedophiles, a system already operating in neighbouring Kazakhstan.
A pro-Putin political party in Moscow has produced new legislation, which is under review by the government. The law would impose forcible chemical injections on convicted paedophiles in the months before they are released from prison.
This comes as opposition parties have claimed that current laws have failed to prevent a rise in attacks on children.
“The need for the legislation is because the current measures to combat crime are not effective enough – [child sexual abuse] numbers are growing, and convicts often relapse after being released from prisons,” said a report.
Mainstream media in the West has not widely reported on this news, but some outlets appear to be using the opportunity to suggest without evidence that Russian soldiers returning from the war in Ukraine are likely to be convicted of child sexual abuse and therefore likely to receive forced castration.
It is more likely that the increased child sexual abuse seen in Russia is being committed by individuals still in Russia, rather than those who have left the country to fight in Ukraine.
Chemical castration works by reducing a person’s libido, which then makes them less likely to act on immoral sexual urges. It can be used in conjunction with punitive sentences, such as prison time, to prevent re-offence after punishment.
