Louisiana lawmakers propose surgical castration for sex offenders

Editor's Note

Pending legislation in Louisiana could enable judges to order surgical castration for sex offenses involving young children, the Associated Press reported June 3. If Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signs the bill, Louisiana would become the first state to do so, although it and other states allow chemical castration.

Approved by the legislature Monday, the law would apply to rape, incest, molestation, and other aggregated sex crimes involving victims younger than 13 years old, AP reports. Compared to chemical castration—an option in Louisiana for more than 16 years—surgical castration is more invasive.

If the bill becomes law, it can only be applied for crimes that occurred on or after Aug. 1 of this year. The full AP report offers further details on the context of the legislation, its support, and its opposition.