Should Repeat Sex Offenders Be Castrated?

In a ceremony at a private home in Van Nuys last week, Gov. Pete Wilson signed a law requiring the chemical castration of repeat child molesters when paroled.

But the law, which goes into effect in January, is sure to face legal challenges. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union will argue that injections of the hormone-suppressing drug Depo-Provera are a violation of an individual’s right to privacy and cause medical problems.

When the law goes into effect, California will be the only state to mandate chemical castration.

Should paroled child molesters be chemically castrated?

Susan Carpenter McMillan, president of the Women’s Coalition in Pasadena.

“This has been a no-brainer for me. . . . There is no cure for this disease, and we have got to begin someplace. . . . [The ACLU is] irrelevant to what society wants. . . . My job at the Women’s Coalition is to find ways to protect children. I don’t care about the rights of serial child molesters. To me, they’ve lost their rights once they rape, molest and violate small children. This, by the way, is not a punishment. It is a help for their problem. . . . It does not sterilize them. It merely lowers the testosterone level.”

Valerie Small Navarro, legislative advocate, ACLU.

“There are medical problems, and the medical problems create the constitutional issues. . . . There is no evidence this drug will work when the problem is not a sexual problem. . . . There is no opt- out clause, such as if someone becomes terribly ill from side effects including gall stones or diabetes . . . or if they develop other illnesses, too bad. . . . If the government is going to step on these rights, then it should do so very carefully. . . . This bill has not been written very carefully and runs into the constitution like it’s a brick wall.”

James Elias, director, Center for Sex Research, Cal State Northridge.

“If we were treating a chemical imbalance in the individual and this would correct that imbalance, then it would work. The injection does not deal with the motivations or reasons for the sex crimes. These must be understood and treated using such means as behavioral-cognitive psychotherapy in individual and group clinical sessions. . . . By specification of the drug to be used, the bill neglects the research showing that there are other, sometimes more effective, drugs used in existing treatment programs today. . . . I believe that the use of drugs to reduce sexual desire and sexual functioning can be effective if combined with a treatment program to deal with the underlying motivations. . . . Simply using the drug treatment alone will make good news copy but incomplete therapy.

Patricia O’Donnell Brummett, Cal State Northridge sociology professor who deals with violent crime.

“Personally, I have mixed feelings about the chemical castration of sex offenders. . . . Chemical castration is one measure that has been shown to be effective in reducing sex offenders’ desires to offend. A lot of people argue that these offenders will commit other crimes instead of sex offenses if we chemically castrate them, but this has yet to be proven. . . . People may be concerned for the well-being of the sex offender and the rights of the sex offender. I think we need to put our children and victims first and be concerned with their right to live a life free of sexual abuse.”

On the Issue appears every Tuesday. Please send suggestions for topics to On the Issue, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax them to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to valley@latimes.com Please include your name and daytime phone number.