Some sex offenders in the country of Thailand will soon be able to opt for chemical castration in exchange for a shortened prison term, in a contentious move that will see the Southeast Asia country join a small number of countries around the world that allows the controversial practice.
According to a bill approved by the Thai Senate on Monday, July 18th, repeat sex offenders will be able to choose if they would like to receive injections that would temporarily reduce their testosterone levels and sex drive, hoping that the procedure will stop them from committing further sexual crimes in exchange for a shortened prison term.
The bill, which has already been passed in the lower house in March, is awaiting reaffirmation and will officially become law when published in the Royal Gazette. The timeline for the bill’s passage is still yet to be known, but the authorities say they are hoping for a swift process to lower sex crime rates. “I want this law to pass quickly,” Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said on Tuesday, July 19th. “I don’t want to see news about bad things happening to women again.”
