On the 4th of October, deputies of the Russia's State Duma approved a bill assuming chemical castration for pedophiles, with intent to crack down on sex crime against minors. The draft was supported in its first reading by the overwhelming majority of Duma deputies - 331 of 332, one abstained.

      The draft also stipulates that pedophiles would be stripped of the right to plea for a suspended sentence, and re-offenders for sex crimes against minors will face life sentences. 

      The voluntary chemical procedure involves a regular application of injections, leading to a fall in the level of the male hormone testosterone, which suppresses sexual drive. That procedure will be prescribed to all people, who commited sex crimes against persons under age of 14. The injection's effect, however, is still not irreversible.

      The amendments were first suggested by Dmitry Medvedev in May. He said that a liberal approach is totally unacceptable for such crimes and that the punishment for pedophiles should be "as harsh as possible".

      Chemical castration of pedophiles is used in several countries such as Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Israel, Norway, Sweden, Poland, as well as in some U.S. states.

      The need for a new draft law became obvious long ago. Many experst said the punisment for pedophiles in Russia was too mild. This year the law was changed, with rapists getting sentences of to up to 20 years in prison. Earlier they usually had been sentenced to just 8 to 15 years in prison. And even now, with longer jail terms, many convicts reoffend, and many are paroled. The new amendments are designed to change that unallowable situation. 

Sources: Lenta.ru RIA Novosti