Things are about to get messy for pedophiles in Louisiana as state lawmakers finally approved a bill that allows pedophiles to be surgically castrated on June 3, 2024. However, it hasn’t become a law yet till Governor Jeff Landry approves it. Furthermore, the Louisiana government already has a law that allows judges to pass an order for chemical castration.
With this new law, judges will be allowed to sentence anyone who is charged with abominable sex crimes to prison. Judges will also be allowed to sentence anyone who commits incest, rape, or molestation against a child of 13 years old and below to surgical castration. This new bill allows medical experts to determine if an offender should undergo the procedure.
The Surgical Castration Bill
Once the surgical castration bill is passed, it will take effect from August 1, 2024. The Louisiana lawmakers hope that this new law will stop individuals from committing grievous sex crimes. Since the law is set to take effect in August, the 2,224 people convicted recently won’t pass through surgical castration. As mentioned earlier, the bill states that a medical expert must be there to determine if the offender can be castrated surgically. If the offender isn’t medically appropriate for the procedure, another judgment can be passed.
The bill also states that the medical expert has to finish assessing the offender in sixty days before the judge passes the order. Furthermore, any offender who’s in prison is to be surgically castrated a week before their release. However, if an offender refuses to undergo the procedure, they’ll have to increase their jail time to three to five more years. Once the sentence is given, it won’t be suspended; no parole or probation would be given. This bill only affects offenders who are seventeen years of age and above.
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What the Senate Has to Say About the Bill
Naturally, castration is seen as a procedure for just men. But the Democratic state Sen. Regina Barrow says otherwise. According to Sen. Barrow, the new bill can also apply to female offenders. For Sen. Barrow, it doesn’t matter who commits the crime; as long as a child was molested, they have to be punished.
Aside from Sen. Barrow, Republican state Sen. Valarie Hodges holds the same opinion. According to Hodges, surgical castration is a consequence of an action. It’s much more than just going to jail and stepping out like the crime wasn’t huge. For Hodges and Barrow, this new bill is to protect children from those who plan to harm them.
Louisiana’s Current Castration Bill
Louisiana passed a chemical castration bill in 2008. However, it has only been used twice between 2010 and 2019. Furthermore, the bill has received some disapproval. Some opponents called the procedure cruel, saying it was an unusual punishment.
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On the other hand, individuals questioned how effective the procedure was. Even Louisiana lawmakers have questioned if the procedure is too cruel for someone who has received a sentence for one sex crime. Well, Sen. Barrow doesn’t think so. For her, when it concerns a child, one time is already too many.
Thoughts on the Surgical Castration Bill
Some legislators have expressed their concerns about the new bill, which has yet to be made law. They feel that the law will affect certain races more. A Baton Rouge Democrat, Rep. Edmond Jordan, asserts that the new bill is race-neutral and can apply to anyone. He added that, even though the bill is race-neutral, it will affect a certain race more. Notably, Rep. Jordan is black. Aside from Rep. Jordan, Bruce Reilly also said that there’s a lot of brutality in Louisiana. “There’s not supposed to be any mutilation of people’s bodies, and that’s what this does — it mutilates people’s bodies,” he said.
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Reilly also asked where the Louisiana government draws the line when it comes to punishments. Furthermore, Reilly mentioned that Louisiana has always been known for convicting people wrongly. He also expressed his fears that people who are convicted wrongly will have to endure gruesome punishment.
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