Madagascar Passes Law to Castrate Child Rapists
Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe
Modern Tokyo Times
The mainly Christian nation of Madagascar passed a law that will allow child rapists to face either chemical or surgical castration. This concerns the rape of minors.
President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar raised the issue of child rape late last year. Hence, the government deems it a way of protecting children from this heinous crime by enacting a severe deterrence.
Sky News reports, “The Indian Ocean island’s senate approved the law which will allow for chemical, and in certain cases, surgical castration of those found guilty of raping a minor.”
Rajoelina now needs to ratify and sign this decree into law. This would seem a formality – providing he doesn’t buckle to international pressure. After all, the leader of Madagascar raised this issue.
Landy Randriamanantenasoa (Justice Minister) defended the move. She reiterated that over 600 cases in Madagascar were reported for the rape of a child in 2023 – with 133 cases reported in the first month of 2024.
Child rapists of children under the age of 10 will be pronounced to have surgical castration. For child rapists of children aged 10 to 13, it will either be surgical castration or chemical. Finally, for child rapists of children aged between 14 and 17, then chemical castration.
On top of this, child rapists now face life in prison depending on the severity of each case.
The Justice Minister said, “We wanted to protect children much more. The younger the child, the greater the punishment.”
Lee Jay Walker says, “Amnesty International and other human rights organizations condemned Madagascar based on the lack of trust within the judicial system and other factors. For example, if a person is later cleared of the crime of child rape after a judicial appeal. However, Madagascar deems this to be outside interference.”
The Justice Minister said, “Madagascar is a sovereign country which has the right to modify its laws in relation to circumstances and in the general interest of the people.”
Randriamanantenasoa continued, “The current penal code has not been enough to curb the perpetrators of these offenses.”
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