Chemical castration for rapists: “It is a populist measure that takes advantage of the indignation of Peruvians”

The case of the girl who was kidnapped and sexually abducted in Chiclayo, was the excuse for the president Pedro Castillo proposed chemical castration for rapists of minors, adolescents and women and requested support of Congress for the enactment of that law. However, this measure has been described as' populist 'and that the substance of this problem that puts the integrity of children in our country at risk would not be worked on.

Infobae Peru spoke with Melissa Guillen, member of the NGO Manuela Ramos, who said that the sanction promoted by the Castillo Terrones government is a proposal without basis or foundation, since it is not about punishing sexual abusers of children, adolescents and women, but about how institutions play their role in the process.

“We have taken with great concern the Executive's proposal on chemical castration. It is quite a populist measure, because it takes advantage of all the indignation that the Peruvian people are experiencing after the case of the girl who was raped in the city of Chiclayo. The president is somehow seeking acceptance for this rule, but it is not the solution to the problem. It is not a serious proposal, it is not viable and it does not focus on the real core of the problem,” he said.

Guillén explained that, “according to the Public Ministry, about 70% of cases of rape of a minor occur within their homes, by a close person or family member. These are not isolated cases of psychopaths or mentally ill people, it is actually a society that reproduces this type of violence, it is more common than can be perceived,” he added.

Given the comparisons they make with other countries that have opted for chemical castration of rapists, the specialist assures that there are not many and that this measure is accompanied by other actions to complement the fight against persons who commit these crimes.

“When they want to compare us with other countries on the subject of chemical castration, we must bear in mind that not many nations use this measure to punish criminals. Now, I don't think it's just this measure, I think many of them complement them with others and there is effectiveness. The problem in Peru is not the punishment, since we have sentences for rapists up to life imprisonment and this has not led to a decrease in cases of sexual abuse of minors. The detail is how it is being implemented,” he said.

The representative of Manuela Ramos also explained that a judicial process could take many years, since “the judiciary does not have staff who are trained in these issues and they could be too long.”

“A justice that takes so long and that in the process the victim is revictimized so much, is not true justice. We have high rates of impunity: 50% of cases do not reach an effective sanction, so the problem is the comprehensive response of the State. There are no preventive measures and there is no immediate attention in these cases,” he added.

THE SOLUTION

For the specialist, in Peru we are living in times where violence against women and sexual abuse are increasing day after day. Deep-rooted machismo, hate crimes, impunity seem to have gained ground in the face of our weakened judiciary, which is why one of the measures that should be implemented is the constant training that the staff who deal with these cases should receive and are the first filters where the victims arrive in the to encourage the gender approach in schools.

“Prevention is essential especially in schools and teaching to identify behaviors that jeopardize their integrity. Not only is it talking about contraceptive methods, there is also respect and promoting equal relations. We are aware that the results will not be immediately, but we know that little by little we can improve in this comprehensive education,” he said.

“The State also needs to improve its response, it is necessary to strengthen the capacities of personnel dealing with cases of violence, leaving aside prejudices and stereotypes. Something that is also necessary is for the Regional, Provincial and District Governments to implement their bodies of consultation in which all the authorities involved in the protection and attention of cases participate,” he analyzed.

1,436 GIRLS RAPED IN PERU IN 2021 BECAME MOTHERS

The Ministry of Health issued a report, detailing with figures, the problems faced in Peru with regard to raped girls who have been forced to become mothers at their young age. Many of them have not even reached the age of 14, leaving school and the opportunities to excel.

“It's more than obvious that all these figures come from rape, in 2020 alone, 1,777 girls have been raped. These are not isolated cases, it is something that happens every day and it is a terrible reality that we live in,” he said.

“Forced childbearing is not only the fact of getting pregnant, it's all that comes with being a mother and forcing a girl to have a child from her aggressor is something that goes completely against her entire integrity,” she explained.

Melissa Guillen commented that Manuela Ramos has been leading the Comprehensive Sexual Education Project in Lima, Ucayali and Ayacucho since 2015, with the participation of 16 educational institutions where teachers, parents, students and principals are trained in issues with a gender focus, gender violence, among others.

KEEP READING