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Louisiana passes bill ordering surgical castration of convicted pedophiles | The Gateway expert
The state of Louisiana will not be a good place to be a convicted pedophile.
On Monday, Republican lawmakers said passed a bill that will allow judges to order the surgical castration of pedophiles found guilty of various sex crimes, including rape, incest and molestation, against any child under the age of 13.
Several other states – including Florida and Texas – already allow the chemical castration of pedophiles under certain circumstances. However, Louisiana would be the first state to impose surgical castration instead.
“This is a consequence,” Republican Sen. Valarie Hodges said during debates on the bill. “It’s a step beyond just going to prison and getting out.”
Just in: Louisiana lawmakers have given final approval to allow judges to order SURGICAL CASTRATION of child molesters
This should be implemented nationally
Of course, Democrats did their best to protect children’s rights and block the measure, but Republicans controlled… pic.twitter.com/xJgeBRrTED
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 3, 2024
Somewhat surprisingly, the legislation was authored by a Democrat, state Sen. Regina Barrow, although her fellow Democratic lawmakers voted overwhelmingly against it.
“We’re talking about babies being abused by someone. That is inexcusable,” Barrow said of the proposed legislation. “For me, once is too many when I think about a child.”
Although castration is typically associated with men, Barrow noted that the law could apply to women as well. She emphasized that the decision to impose this sentence would be made on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of each judge.
Under the legislation, after being ordered by a judge to “fail to appear or refuse to undergo surgical castration,” an offender can be charged with “failure to comply” and face an additional prison sentence of three to five years.
It also requires a medical expert to “determine whether the perpetrator is an appropriate candidate” for the procedure before it is performed.
The bill now heads to Governor Jeff Landry’s desk. He has not yet confirmed whether he will sign it into law.
