Police Doctors Ready to Execute Castration Against pedophiles

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Police chief spokesman Ins. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said police doctors would be ready to carry out the order to castrate pedophilia convicts.

"We are ready to be the executor of castration if given the order, as we are ready to carry out the order for death execution," Boy Rafli said on Tuesday.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has issued a regulation in lieu of law allowing Indonesian court to mete out castration punishment on convicts on charge of pedophilia.

The Perpu has triggered a controversy with the Indonesian Association of Physicians (IDI) expressing opposition saying the regulation is against doctors ethical code.

Doctors took the oath to strictly observe the ethical code, IDI general chairman Ilham Oetama Marsis said, adding IDI doctors would refuse to be the executors.

When asked to comment about the IDIs criticism Boy Rafli said," In principle, we are ready to do the order."

Meanwhile the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) said execution of order to castrate sex predators is the job of police not IDI.

Police, therefore, need to form a special team of specialists to better guarantee that the process of castration is safe, IPW chairman Neta Pane said.

The doctors have to be competent to reduce the possibility of complication of medical risks, Pane said.

President Jokowi said the Perppu gives room for court to slap heavier punishment on perpetrators of sexual abuses.

The Perppu was issued following growing cases of sexual abuses with children as the preferred sexual objects.

The Perppu, however, is yet to be debated at the House of Representatives.

Law expert from the Islamic Institute of IAIN Ambon DR Ismael Rumadhan called on the House of Representatives not rush into approving the Perpu.

"I call on the House to carefully consider the wisdom of the Perpu as castration is tantamount to life long punishment," Dr Ismael said.

ANTARA