Castration : Ouch !

Europe's top human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has urged Germany :

to end the practice of surgically castrating sex offenders.... :lipsrsealed:

In Germany no more than five sex offenders a year have been opting for castration,

hoping it will lower their sex drives and reduce their jail term.  ::redface::

" Surgical castration is a mutilating, irreversible intervention and cannot be considered

as a medical necessity in the context of the treatment of sexual offenders "  ::

• The physical effects are irreversible and may have serious physical and mental consequences .

• Surgical castration does not conform to recognised international standards and is not mentioned in guidelines drawn up by the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders .

    There is no guarantee of a lasting reduction in the sex offender's testosterone level

• It is "questionable" whether consent to surgical castration "will always be truly free and informed".