Minister Urges Doctors to Heed Chemical Castration Regulation
Jakarta. The government has called on the national medical association to allow doctors to perform chemical castration — an additional penalty for child sex crimes that the parliament is close to passing into law.
Citing ethical concerns, the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) said doctors should not be made to perform the chemical castration, which is done by injecting male child sex offenders with female hormones to suppress their sex drive.
The association's representatives reiterated their rejection earlier on Monday (25/07) in a meeting with lawmakers at the House of Representatives to deliberate the regulation which, if passed into law, will be part of the existing law on child protection.
The House agreed on Tuesday to bring the regulation before a plenary meeting to enact it into law, despite concerns over its implementation after IDI's rejection.
"If the law is in place, all without exception have to abide by it," Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise said after Tuesday's hearing.
"Who will perform the chemical castration and how will be discussed further with related parties," Yohana said to the House's Commission VIII, which has been discussing the government-proposed regulation.
The government has previously said performing the chemical castration will not breach doctors' code of ethics, as it will be ordered by the court. However, the medical association insists the regulation should put ethical concerns first, and punitive action second.
Tuesday's agreement came two months after the government proposed the regulation as Perppu, or regulation in lieu of law. Officials have defended the regulation against fierce criticism, saying it would deter potential child sex offenders and curb sex crimes in general.
The regulation, which has drawn both support and condemnation from the public, also seeks other tough punishments for child sex offenders, including the death penalty.
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