Kak Seto: Castration Is Part Of The Rehabilitation Of Sexual Violators

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI) Seto Mulyadi said chemical castration as an additional punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence against children must be seen as part of rehabilitation.

"It is necessary to believe that the chemical castration act is to prevent the perpetrator from committing the same crime. It is part of rehabilitation, a form of treatment," said Kak Seto, his nickname, when contacted in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, January 6.

Kak Seto said, the chemical castration action has a certain time period and does not turn off the sexual urge at all. Chemical castration is related to psychological problems so that perpetrators of sexual violence against children do not return to commit the same crime.

According to Kak Seto, chemical castration for perpetrators of sexual crimes against children needs to be viewed not merely as a punishment, namely repaying crimes by committing crimes.

"The chemical castration act is part of rehabilitation so that the perpetrator does not repeat his crimes," he said.

President Joko Widodo has signed Government Regulation Number 70 of 2020 concerning Procedures for Implementing Chemical Castration, Installation of Electronic Detection Devices, Rehabilitation, and Announcement of the Identity of Perpetrators of Sexual Violence Against Children.

This regulation is a derivative of Law Number 17 of 2016 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2016 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection.

According to the regulation, chemical castration, installation of electronic detection devices, and rehabilitation will be carried out by competent officers at the behest of the prosecutor.

The Regulation on Chemical Castration also mandates the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and the Ministry of Social Affairs to draft a ministerial regulation which contains technical procedures and procedures for implementing chemical castration, installing electronic detection devices, rehabilitation, and announcing the identity of the perpetrator.