Louisiana’s Republican governor is next set to decide whether to sign the bill into law or use his veto to overturn it.
In the United States, a person convicted of a serious sexual crime against a child in the state of Louisiana may in the future be sentenced to surgical castration in addition to a prison sentence.
State lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a law that would allow a judge to order a person castrated if convicted of rape or incest on a child under the age of 13.
If the convicted person refuses the measure, the judge can order him an additional 3-5 years in prison.
In numerous US states, including Louisiana, judges can already order chemical castration for those convicted of sex crimes like the one mentioned above. Chemical castration uses testosterone-reducing hormones that reduce sex drive.
Next, the bill goes to Louisiana’s Republican governor To Jeff Landrywho will decide whether to sign the law or use his veto to overturn it.
There are currently more than 2,200 inmates in Louisiana prisons who have been convicted of sex crimes against children. Whichever governor approves the bill, however, the potential castration order would only apply to those sentenced after August 1 of this year.
Source: AP