Hommam Al Nassim 
Lawmakers in the US state of Louisiana approved legislation that may be the first of its kind in the United States, requiring child sex offenders to undergo surgical procedures to castrate them.
The bill, which was approved by the state parliament by an overwhelming majority on Monday, allows judges to order the castration of those convicted of committing certain sexual crimes that require increased punishment, including rape of children under the age of 13.
The bill will now go before State Governor Jeff Landry, where, if approved, it will become law.
Louisiana, along with other states such as California and Texas, has laws that give judges the authority to order chemical castration in some cases, which includes taking hormone-suppressing medications.
But if the legislation is ratified, Louisiana will become the first state to allow judges to impose surgical castration as a punishment.
The bill requires a decision from a court-appointed medical expert to confirm that the defendant is “fit for surgery” before surgical castration can be performed.
The legislation faces strong opposition, with opponents saying that the punishment is brutal and that surgical castration, unlike chemical castration, cannot be cured.
National Association for Rational Sex Offender Laws spokeswoman Sandy Ruzek said in a statement that the punishment is “at best, ineffective, and at worst, barbaric.”
The legislation received significant support from Republicans who dominate the Louisiana Legislature, but it was advanced by the efforts of Democratic Senator Regina Barrow, at a hearing last month, and Barrow said at the time: “I want to be reassured that our children are safe.”
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