Don't knock castration, said Michelle Cottle in The New Republic. Europeans are locked in a debate over the Czech Republic's castration of some sex offenders, which the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee says is barbaric. (read The New York Times' story) But some dangerous predators simply can't be "cured" of their horrific impulses without a little surgical help.
"Surgical castration of sex offenders went out about 100 years ago," said The Scottish Daily Record in an editorial. But chemical castration could be just the thing to stop violent sex offenders from repeating their crimes. Several American states and European countries are trying it—it might sound "radical," but "the civil rights of innocent victims far outweigh those of serial sex offenders."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
America's favorite fast food restaurantsThe Explainer There are different ways of thinking about how Americans define how they most like to spend their money on burgers, tacos and fried chicken
-
Law: The battle over birthright citizenshipFeature Trump shifts his focus to nationwide injunctions after federal judges block his attempt to end birthright citizenship
-
The threat to the NIHFeature The Trump administration plans drastic cuts to medical research. What are the ramifications?
