Turkey’s Council of State stops execution of regulation on chemical castration

ANKARA

Turkey’s Council of State has stopped the execution of a regulation on chemical castration, which was introduced last year against sex offenders, on the grounds that it can “lead to hard-to-recover and unrepairable damages.”

The Council of State’s 10th Division said such an implementation was against one’s physical integrity and hence could be undertaken only with a law. Accordingly, the doctors will not be able to implement any bodily punishment on the convicted that will lead to a “reduction in the sexual urge,” until the issue is clarified with a law, the ruling said.

The defendant in the case, the Turkish Justice Ministry, has appealed to the Council of State’s ruling.

A regulation published in the Official Gazette on July 26, 2016 has authorized chemical castration for those found guilty of sexual crimes.

The regulation said chemical castration will be used on convicts either in prison or during the “control period” if they are conditionally released, but exempting those under the age of 18.

Several associations had criticized the law at the time, saying it did not address the root of the problem.

The regulation also included several other obligations for sexual offenders, such as joining programs for treatment, being banned from living in the area where the victim works or resides, being banned from approaching the area where the victim is, and being banned from working in an environment that involves being around children.