Neuchâtel authorises sex offender to undergo chemical castration
A sex offender imprisoned for 36 years in Neuchâtel has been granted permission to undergo chemical castration treatment. The Department of Health has overruled the cantonal physician who had refused this option.
Neuchâtel authorises sex offender to undergo chemical castration
A man convicted of sexual offences and imprisoned for more than thirty-six years in the canton of Neuchâtel has been granted permission to undergo hormonal treatment aimed at reducing his libido. This decision by the Department of Health, signed by State Councillor Frédéric Mairy, was made public on 20 May.
The prisoner, originally from Berne and aged 57, has spent almost his entire adult life in detention. He was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for serious sexual acts committed when he was young. Subsequently, a custodial measure was imposed against him, later transformed into an institutional therapeutic measure.
Considered too dangerous to be released on licence or transferred to a secure facility, he hoped to obtain relief from his prison regime by accepting an anti-androgenic treatment combined with other therapies.
The cantonal physician had previously rejected this request, believing that the timing was calculated, that consent was not genuine, and that the effectiveness of the treatment was highly uncertain. The Department of Health ultimately rejected this opinion and granted its authorisation.
This decision could allow an evolution of the prisoner's detention regime towards greater openness.
Source: Le Temps