Castrate serial rapists, says Malaysian minister

Castrate serial rapists, says Malaysian minister
Malaysia Sun
Thursday 10th July, 2008
(IANS)

A Malaysian minister has demanded that serial rapists be castrated and given hormone therapy to reduce sexual desire.

'Uncontrollable sexual desire is no excuse for committing rape. Castration should be debated and considered as a solution to the problem,' Women, Family and Community Development Minister Ng Yen Yen said Wednesday.

Ng, however, said she was speaking as a doctor and not as a minister.

'From the medical perspective, if it is proven that a person is a repetitive rapist due to surging testosterone, then I am an advocate for castration. I am not speaking as a minister but as a medical doctor,' The Star newspaper quoted her as saying.

'I'm talking about reducing testosterone production,' Ng added.

Like many nations across the world, Malaysia has a rising crime graph. According to police statistics, 1,887 rape cases were reported in 2005, 2,435 in 2006 and 3,177 cases last year.

'I am just saying that we all should be more open to discussing this issue. Allow for more research,' Ng told reporters after launching a research-based handbook titled 'Rapist and Rape: Who and Why'.

Rachel Samuel, a university lecturer in Malacca was the principal researcher for the book while Rohana Ariffin, the editor and co-researcher, is a former Universiti Sains Malaysia associate professor.

The book is based on research on 90 convicted rapists. The book focuses on the rapists rather than the victims and is based on interviews with the offenders.

The study found that incest and being attacked while on a date or with a new acquaintance were the common cases. The victims were aged 16 and below. The majority of rapists were found to be from the rural areas, with low education levels and married.