Indonesia passes law to castrate, execute child sex offenders

Jakarta: The Indonesian Parliament on Thursday passed a new law that gives way to chemically castrate or even execute convicted paedophiles.

Indonesia, which is also the world’s most populous Muslim country, enacted the law following a spate of child sexual abuse cases, especially involving western tourists.

According to the new law, repeat offenders and those who abuse family members can face up to 20-years in jail, and be tagged with a microchip.

The law also permits execution for those who murder their victims or leave them with permanent mental or physical damage, including sexually transmitted diseases.

According to a report in Daily Mail, the incidences of western paedophiles travelling in Indonesia were at a staggering high, with over 100 sex offenders from Audtralia being arrested in the recent past.

Though stringent measures for sex offenders and paedophiles were under consideration, the move got added impetus after the brutal rape and murder of 14-year-old by a gang of 12 men and boys in May. The teenager’s body was found in the woods, tied-up, battered, and naked.

Earlier, police arrested a group of janitors working at the Jakarta International School (JIS) for allegedly abusing a six-year-old student.

Also in April, the FBI said a suspected child predator had once taught at JIS, as well as at a number of other international schools in Nicaragua, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and other countries. The suspect, William James Vahey, committed suicide in March.

And earlier last month, the police arrested a man for allegedly abusing more than 100 underage boys over the last few months in Western Java.

Though many have welcomed the move, expecting it to be a powerful deterrent, doctors and human rights activists have questioned its effectiveness.

The Indonesian Doctor’s association has come out strongly against chemical castration and has barred its doctor’s from administering it. The move will not be an able deterrent, the board felt, and added, “Numerous studies have shown that castration is not an ­effective deterrent, because sex crimes are not caused by hormonal impulses but by behavioural disorders.”

Human rights activists also echoed similar views.

“The law is only enacted to make the government appear tough and hide their own shortcomings,” said human rights activist Haris Azhar.