Sex offenders convicted of multiple rapes could face chemical castration in Pakistan after lawmakers passed new legislation on Wednesday aimed at speeding up convictions and imposing tougher sentences for rapes.
The law comes in response to a massive public outcry about the recent increase in rapes against women and children in the country, as well as growing demands to ensure justice for victims of sexual assault.
The bill says Pakistan’s government should establish special courts across the country to expedite rape trials and ensure that sexual abuse cases are decided “quickly, preferably within four months.”
Those guilty of gang rape will be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
Chemical castration is the use of drugs to reduce libido or sexual activity. It is a legal form of punishment in countries like South Korea, Poland, Czech Republic and some states in the United States.
Amnesty International said the penalty for chemical castration is “cruel and inhumane” in a statement last December when the bill was announced.
“Instead of trying to divert attention, authorities should focus on the crucial work of reforms that will address the roots of sexual violence and give survivors the justice they deserve,” said Amnesty.
Less than 3 percent of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan, Reuters reported last December, citing Karachi-based nonprofit War Against Rape.
In a landmark decision in January, virginity testing of survivors of sexual violence was banned in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab.
So-called virginity tests, which include inspecting the hymen or inserting two fingers into the vagina, are invasive tests performed under the belief that they can determine whether a woman is a virgin.
*This article has been translated. Read the original in English
Reference: CNN Brasil

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