Indonesian President Defends Chemical Castration Punishment

Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia, defended the law for chemically castrating individuals who commit sexual abuse against children, emphasizing that there is 'no compromise' in dealing with such crimes. In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, October 20, he stated, 'Our constitution respects human rights, but when it comes to sexual crimes, there is no compromise... The government will impose the harshest penalties for such crimes.' In May of this year, in response to public outrage over the gang rape of a young girl in Indonesia, Widodo enacted severe penalties for child sexual abusers, including chemical castration and the death penalty. The Indonesian parliament also approved last week that these new regulations would become permanent laws. However, this entire matter has drawn criticism from some human rights activists and the Indonesian Medical Association, which has announced that its members will not cooperate with the government on this issue. Nevertheless, the Indonesian President insists on enforcing this law, stating, 'In my opinion... chemical castration, if we implement it firmly, will reduce sexual crimes and eliminate their consequences.' Indonesia is among the few countries in the world that applies chemical castration as a punishment. Poland, the Czech Republic, South Korea, and some U.S. states also implement this law. This method uses drugs that eliminate a person's sexual desire. The Indonesian President called for the implementation of this punishment following the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl who was attacked by a group of drunken men and boys while returning home from school. The leader of this group was sentenced to death last month for murder, and the other members of the group have also been arrested and imprisoned.