‘CASTRATION’ FOR SEX OFFENDERS
Convicted Scots paedophiles offered chemical jabs to stop them carrying out more attacks under controversial new NHS scheme
MEN convicted of sex crimes are to be given ‘chemical castration’ drugs to stop them reoffending as part of a pilot scheme.
Higher-risk convicts in Glasgow who volunteer for the trial will be kept on medication designed to reduce their libido.
The initiative follows a recent experiment that involved offenders receiving treatment behind bars before being released.
However, in what is believed to be a first for Scotland, participants will be living in the community while officials monitor the project’s success or failure in preventing further crimes.
Last night, the plan – which could be a blueprint for similar schemes nationwide – was given a cautious welcome by campaigners.
Margaret-Ann Cummings, whose eightyear-old son Mark was killed by a convicted paedophile in Glasgow in 2004, said: ‘If sex offenders are volunteering to go through with this and willing to change to stop other people being hurt then they should be offered every support possible.
‘However, it is vital that the authorities are not using the public as guinea pigs in an experiment here.
‘Everything about this must be tightly controlled – the monitoring of these offenders and the effect of the drugs on their behaviour on a long-term basis. We live in a society where
even high-risk sex offenders in prison are likely to be back on the streets sooner rather than later.
‘But while we argue to change that, we have to confront the current reality of this situation and it is preferable to have chemical castration available than to not have it at all.’
She added: ‘There is no one silver bullet to solve the problem of how to keep society secure from sex offenders but we must have as many safety measures in place around them as possible.’
The scheme is being considered by the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (GHSCP).
Documents recently published by the Glasgow Community Justice Authority reveal plans for a ‘healthcare-managed pathway for anti-libidinal medications’.
They say work in being carried out on ‘the logistics of who administers the medication and how the physical health follow-up checks are undertaken’, adding: ‘The numbers are expected to be low and this process may be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. A protocol has been drawn up and is at the consultation stage before being ratified by senior health professionals.’
The mildest anti-libidinal drugs cost as little as £26 for a course of 56 pills. However, stronger medication is delivered by injection with jabs remaining effective for several weeks – though with a price tag of £376.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Douglas Ross said: ‘While this may seem drastic, if those taking part have volunteered to do so then the trial is worth conducting. However, we need to be sure they still do not pose a threat before putting them back in our communities and I trust that the police will be closely monitoring them.’
In a trial held at HMP Whatton, Nottinghamshire, in 2012, around 100 offenders volunteered for the treatment.
Early assessments from the scheme classed the results as ‘encouraging’.
In the same year, it emerged that sex offenders at Glenochil Prison, Clackmannanshire, thought likely to benefit from drug treatment had been identified. It was reported that a handful had been freed after taking the drugs and the scheme was to be extended.
Commenting on the Glasgow proposal, a GHSCP spokesman said: ‘This initiative is at an early stage... but it is anticipated that anti-libidinal drugs would be used on a case-by-case basis where appropriate.
‘The use of drugs can be effective in terms of the impact they have on an offender’s behaviour. However, they would only be used as part of a wider supervision plan and other monitoring arrangements would remain in place.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Anti-libidinal drugs are only appropriate for a very small number of sex offenders and are used on a voluntary basis.’