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MadagascarParliament has passed a law allowing chemical and surgical castration of those found guilty of raping a minor.

International human rights groups have criticized the move, but activists in the country said they supported it as a suitable deterrent to curb a “rape culture.”

Parliament in Indian Ocean The island nation of 28 million people passed the law on February 2 and the Senate, the upper house, approved it last week. It must now be ratified by the Supreme Constitutional Court and brought into force by President Andry Rajoelina, who first raised the issue in December. His government proposed the law change.

Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa said this was a necessary step as the number of rapes against children was increasing.

In 2023, 600 cases of rape of a minor were registered, 133 in January of this year.

“Madagascar is a sovereign country that has the right to change its laws according to circumstances and in the general interest of the people,” Randriamanantenasoa said. “The current penal code has not been sufficient to curb the perpetrators of these crimes.”

If a child under the age of ten is raped, “surgical castration is always imposed,” the law states. Rape of children between the ages of 10 and 13 is punishable by surgical or chemical castration. Rape of minors between the ages of 14 and 17 is punishable by chemical castration.

Criminals now face harsher penalties of up to life imprisonment and castration.

“We wanted to protect children much more. The younger the child, the higher the punishment,” said Randriamanantenasoa.

Chemical castration uses drugs to block hormones and reduce sexual desire. Generally, it is reversible by stopping the medication. Surgical castration is a permanent procedure.

Several countries and some US states – including California And Florida – allow chemical castration for some sex offenders. Surgical castration as a punishment is much less common. The use of both is highly controversial.

Madagascar’s new law has been criticized by human rights groups Amnesty International as “inhumane and degrading treatment” that is inconsistent with the country’s constitutional laws. The law should rather focus on victim protection, said Nciko wa Nciko, Madagascar advisor at Amnesty.

“On the island, grievance procedures and legal proceedings are not carried out anonymously,” he said. “There is a lack of trust in the Malagasy criminal justice system due to lack of transparency and corruption.” And reprisals against rape victims are common. However, the law does not address these factors.”

He added that surgical castration is a problematic sentencing if someone who has undergone that castration is later acquitted of a crime on appeal. He also expressed doubts about the ability of medical authorities to carry out the procedures.

But despite the criticism, some activists in Madagascar agree with the law change because nothing else seems to be working.

“There really is a rape culture in Madagascar,” said Jessica Lolonirina Nivosichto of the group Women Break the Silence, which campaigns against rape and supports victims. “We are in the process of normalizing certain cases of sexual violence and also minimizing the severity of these cases.”

“(The new law) is a step forward because it is a deterrent punishment. This could deter potential attackers from taking action… but only if we as citizens are aware of the existence and importance of this new penalty.”