from MARIO RAJOMAZANDRY in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Madagascar Bureau
0ANTANANARIVO, (CAJ News) – AUTHORITIES in Madagascar have been urged to repeal a proposal for chemical and surgical castration of individuals prosecuted for raping minors.
Such punishment would be a culmination of the amendments to the Malagasy Penal Code, which now allows for chemical and surgical castration.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said implementing castration, which the organisation believes is cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as a punishment for those found guilty of raping minors would not solve crime and is inconsistent with Malagasy constitutional provisions against torture and other ill-treatment, as well as regional and international human rights standards.
“The Malagasy authorities must instead prioritize a survivor-centered approach, which empowers and enables survivors to report safely without fear of stigmatization and retaliation; effectively holds perpetrator to account and introduces necessary reforms to the criminal justice system to ensure survivors can access timely justice and remedies, and moreover, strengthens prevention efforts to address and eliminate root causes.”
On January 24, President Andry Rajoelina signed into law new amendments to the Malagasy Penal Code that include chemical and surgical castration as punishment for individuals found guilty of rape against minors.
While Amnesty is against castration, it conceded that in Madagascar, rape cases remain under-reported, and perpetrators often go free due to the victims’ and their families’ fear of retaliation, stigmatisation, and a lack of trust in the judicial system.
– CAJ News