The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill allowing recidivist sex offenders and violent criminals to voluntarily receive chemical castration.
The bill of preventive measures of sexual recidivism or violent crimes was passed by 292 votes with one vote against and one abstention. It will be proposed for royal endorsement before coming into effect.
Palang Pracharath MP for Bangkok Patcharin Sumsiripong, who proposed the law with the Justice Ministry, said it will help reduce repeat offending.
She said the focus will be on three serious crimes, namely, sexual violations including rape and harassment, murder or aggravated assault, and offences that infringe on people's freedom such as abduction.
The bill passed its reading in the House in February and in the Senate in July. The Senate amended some sections and the law returned to the House yesterday.
The law requires the use of a drug that reduced testosterone levels to be approved by a committee and ordered by the court. Convicts who agree to receive the injection can ask to have their prison terms shortened.
The procedure must be carried out by at least two specialists, psychiatric and medical. The bill also requires the offenders to be monitored for 10 years. They must wear electronic monitoring bracelets after their release for a period of time.
South Korea, Russia, Poland and some parts of the United States have also turned to chemical castration to reduce repeat offending.
