Indonesia Signs Law to Punish Child Sex Offenders Through Chemical Castration & Death Penalty

On Wednesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed an emergency law which stipulates that child sex offenders will be chemically castrated and be sentenced to death.

Aljazeera reports Indonesia’s introduction of tougher punishments for child sex offenders, including the death penalty and chemical castration, has won public applause but activists are warning that the measures will not serve as a deterrent.

A court on Sumatra Island sentenced 7 teenagers to 10 years in prison for raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl in April.

In another case that sparked outrage this month, two men were arrested on the outskirts of Jakarta for allegedly raping and killing an 18-year-old girl by assaulting her with a wooden hoe.

The incident sparked a national debate about sexual violence and as more reports of sex attacks emerged, pressure mounted on the government to take action.

The president said:

“I have declared that sexual offences against children are an extraordinary crime because they threaten and endanger the lives of children,” he said

“An extraordinary crime deserves an exceptional response. Therefore, this regulation imposes heavier punishments and additional measures for the perpetrators of the violence.”

Joko also said in his address that the attacks had disturbed public order, ”The decree also allows judges to hand down life sentences or death sentences to people convicted of child rape.”

He added that the minimum sentence would be 10 years, ”Convicts can be micro chipped for easy monitoring by authorities and their names may be published.’

However, a number of leading rights activists have voiced their dissent over the new law.

Mariana Aminudi from the National Commission on Violence Against Women said on Twitter:

“The castration law is evidence that the government does not view sexual assaults as an act of violence but merely as a matter of controlling sexual urges.”

Sandra Moniaga from the National Commission on Human Rights wrote: “Violence will not be stopped by violent punishments.”

The new rules, introduced by emergency presidential decree are in effect immediately but could be overturned by parliament at a later date.

Photo credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images