France to get tougher on sex offenders. Is hormonal therapy a solution?

[Urederra]

Since there is some dicussion on other thread about what justice is, I think this piece of news may deserve its own thread.

France's Sarkozy gets tough on sex offenders

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has promised tougher treatment for sex offenders, because a convicted paedophile is suspected of raping a 5-year-old boy shortly after being released from prison. The scandal was high on the agenda at the first cabinet meeting after the holiday.

Sarkozy said: "Prisoners of this type, at the end of their sentence, will be examined by a panel of doctors and if they recognise that the subjects are dangerous, they will not be released. They will go to a closed hospital, where they will be treated."

The scandal is proving to be one of several signs that maybe Sarkozy's honeymoon period in office is coming to an end. The boy's father and grandfather went to the Elysee Palace in Paris to meet the president. Afterwards, the child's father said: "I have come here today to press for changes in the law, to make them more severe for monsters like that man."

Francis Evrard, 61, was freed in July after serving 18 years of a 27 year sentence for raping children. Police say that after his release he snatched a 5-year-old from the street last week and raped him too. Evrard was found with the anti-impotence drug Viagra in his pocket, claiming it had been prescribed by a prison doctor before his release.

Sarkozy's proposals would mean offenders would have to accept hormonal therapy before being released, even at the end of their sentence

linky, linky, link

So, here is this child rapist who 'paid his debt in jail' and was freed. After release he raped a 5 yo boy. What is this telling to you about how justice works?

Sarkozy (he reminds me of Le petit Nicolas) is proposing to treat sex offenders with hormones before being released. Is this a correct way of understanding justice or is it a bit nazi? Do you support hormonal therapy?

Apparently, the doctor in prison gave the rapist Viagra, or so he claims. That may be another bit to discuss.

I am heading to lunch. Behave while I am out.

 

[Rossiya]

I believe another term for the so-called "hormonal therapy" is chemical castration.

 

[potatokiosk]

I think giving them hormonal therapy is a good idea. If they could get by without therapy they wouldn't be sex offenders in the first place.

 

[LucyDuke]

I really, really don't like the dehumanization of sex offenders. They may have done and may do terrible things, but they are still human. Any other criminal can "pay his debt" and get on with his life. These guys will never be left alone. They are monitored and have to tell their neighbors about their criminal history. "Chemical castration" is a leash for the rest of his life. That's not fair.

Surgically castrate them instead.

 

[El_Machinae]

Do you support hormonal therapy?

The science of hormonal therapy (for rehabilitation) is on the weak side, mainly because it's really, really hard to do in a fair and humane fashion. Even worse, it's REALLY hard to do such science in a way that gives scientifically useful results.

In theory, I think that hormone therapy could do massive wonders for some of the sex-offender population, but I suspect that there's a heavy number of sex offenders which would not be able to benefit from such therapy.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that neuroscience can deliver us many viable options to treat sex offenders. But it's really hard.

 

[Virote_Considon]

but they are still human.

I disagree. They aren't humans. They're "things". They deserve to spend life caged up used for the testing of medicines/beauty products etc.

It could also work in the favour of the tax payer, who doesn't have to pay for animal testing and keeping a prisoner in jail. And it should stop animal rights activists right in their tracks. It's win-win! (Well, unless you're a sex offender)

 

[Masquerouge]

Apparently, the doctor in prison gave the rapist Viagra, or so he claims. That may be another bit to discuss.

I am heading to lunch. Behave while I am out.

On that specific point: The doctor, upon learning of the crime, turned himself to the authorities saying he gave the criminal viagra while he was in jail, because prison authorities did not tell him he was a sex offender.

Just making that clear before things go wild

 

[Bill3000]

I disagree. They aren't humans. They're "things". They deserve to spend life caged up used for the testing of medicines/beauty products etc.

No, I'm pretty sure that they are human.

 

[Masquerouge]

I disagree. They aren't humans. They're "things". They deserve to spend life caged up used for the testing of medicines/beauty products etc.

It could also work in the favour of the tax payer, who doesn't have to pay for animal testing and keeping a prisoner in jail. And it should stop animal rights activists right in their tracks. It's win-win! (Well, unless you're a sex offender)

Do you feel more righteous when you turn barbaric towards people who break the law?

 

[El_Machinae]

I disagree. They aren't humans. They're "things". They deserve to spend life caged up used for the testing of medicines/beauty products etc.

It could also work in the favour of the tax payer, who doesn't have to pay for animal testing and keeping a prisoner in jail. And it should stop animal rights activists right in their tracks. It's win-win! (Well, unless you're a sex offender)

I think that someone who is incapable of determining what a 'human' is should be ignored when it comes to advice about medical testing.

For the same reason, I wouldn't trust someone who cannot explain what a lawyer is, to give me advice on how to proceed on a legal issue.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Do you feel more righteous when you turn barbaric towards people who break the law?

Yes, although depending on the extent. A petty theft should not be met with the same level of "barbarity" as a serial killer, for example.

 

[LordRahl]

We already have a cure that works in 100% of cases for those type of crimes. It's called a bullet in the head. Any other method, and you're ending up with repeat offenders...

Do you feel more righteous when you turn barbaric towards people who break the law?

Do you feel more righteous when you release criminals to prey on the innocent kids?

 

[El_Machinae]

We already have a cure that works in 100% of cases for those type of crimes. It's called a bullet in the head. Any other method, and you're ending up with repeat offenders...

Why do you hate science?

 

[LucyDuke]

I disagree. They aren't humans. They're "things". They deserve to spend life caged up used for the testing of medicines/beauty products etc.

It could also work in the favour of the tax payer, who doesn't have to pay for animal testing and keeping a prisoner in jail. And it should stop animal rights activists right in their tracks. It's win-win! (Well, unless you're a sex offender)

Where do you draw the line? Are murderers human? Child abusers? How about the guy that had a pee in public and got convicted of indecent exposure, which is a sex offense?

I don't like calling them "human", either, but I'm not prepared to draw a line. They might be monsters, but they're still human.

 

[Masquerouge]

We already have a cure that works in 100% of cases for those type of crimes. It's called a bullet in the head. Any other method, and you're ending up with repeat offenders...



Do you feel more righteous when you release criminals to prey on the innocent kids?

Where did I say I wanted to release criminals?

 

[El_Machinae]

Sigh. Your memory is so short. Right here.

Where did I say I wanted to release criminals?

 

[Virote_Considon]

Where do you draw the line? Are murderers human?

This depends on circumstances. For example, the motive and the method. For simplicities sake, however, I will say no, they are not human for the most part.

Child abusers?

Most definitely not human.

How about the guy that had a pee in public and got convicted of indecent exposure, which is a sex offense?

He's not inhuman. Just thoughtless. Although if he were to have had a pee in a public place with the idea of flashing to minors, for example, I think he would not be human.

I don't like calling them "human", either, but I'm not prepared to draw a line. They might be monsters, but they're still human.

I look at them as either humans or monsters. After all, you can't have a Horse that is also a Dog, can you?

 

[Bill3000]

Do you feel more righteous when you release criminals to prey on the innocent kids?

When the crime rate of released criminals is far lower than most crimes, yes.

Most definitely not human.

Dude. They are human, have the same DNA as us, and are endowed with the same fundamental rights that other humans have - that includes the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

 

[El_Machinae]

Crumb, I was hoping for a discussion on the efficacy of using hormones to modify deviant behaviour.

 

[amadeus]

Castrate unless you can pay a bail of €1,000,000; gets back at the sex offenders and hopefully relieves the French taxpayer a little.