HARRISBURG – Several GOP lawmakers in Harrisburg plan to introduce legislation to allow courts to order the chemical or surgical castration of child rapists to permanently prevent these offenders from reengaging in predatory acts. In a co-sponsorship memo, Lawrence County Rep. Marla Brown says sexual abuse can have profound and long-lasting effects on children, impacting their physical, psychological, emotional, and social well-being. While rehabilitative programming may assist child predators in managing sexual impulses, decades of scientific research has established that there is no known cure for pedophilia. Chemical or surgical castration will drastically reduce the likelihood that these dangerous predators will reoffend. The threat of such a severe and lasting consequence will serve as a strong deterrent for potential predators compared to traditional punitive measures. At least 11 other jurisdictions have passed legislation to permit such castration of sexual predators.
REP. MARLA BROWN