MOSCOW, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A Russian lawmaker wants judges to be allowed to impose surgical castration of pedophiles if chemical castration is deemed insufficient to prevent sex offenses.
RIA Novosti reported Anton Belyakov, a lawmaker in the center-left A Just Russia party, introduced a measure in the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, that would allow judges to impose the surgical castration.
"I suggest introducing chemical and surgical castration as coercive medical measures," Belyakov said.
The Duma voted in October in favor of chemical castration for convicted pedophiles -- a process that involves regular injections that reduce the libido but can be reversed when the treatment is discontinued.
Under the measure proposed by Belyakov, a judge unconvinced the treatment would be enough to prevent further sex offenses would be able to order surgical castration.
Belyakov said surgical castration could also be imposed on people who try to evade chemical castration.
"Only such complex measures will give children protection from pedophiles," Belyakov said.
He said the Czech Republic has practiced surgical castration for child sex offenders for the past 30 years "and not a single sexual re-occurrence has been recorded."
Russia increased penalties for pedophiles in 2009 to up to 20 years in prison, but many convicts offend again, the Russian news agency said.
The Investigative Committee said more than 9,500 children were victimized by pedophiles in Russia last year and about 960 of them were raped, with a third of the rape victims younger than 14.
