Italy is one step closer to legalizing chemical castration. Lawmakers voted to create a committee that could draft laws allowing the use of hormone-blocking drugs on violent sex offenders.
The treatment would need to be consensual and reversible, and the main goal would be reducing repeat offenses. Parliament has now officially committed to forming the committee.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration has been pushing a law-and-order message. Since taking power in 2022, they’ve added dozens of new crimes and handed out tougher penalties.
Meloni has also focused attention on Caivano, a poor area near Naples that made headlines after the gang rape of two young girls. She said security is her “priority” for the coming months.
The League, a far-right party in Meloni’s coalition, pushed for the motion. Their idea is that convicted rapists and pedophiles could get a suspended sentence if they agree to hormone treatment.
League leader Matteo Salvini posted on X: “Victory for the League! … Good. Another important step forward for our historic battle for justice and common sense: zero tolerance for rapists and pedophiles.”
Opposition lawmakers were not on board. Some called it “extremist” and “in violation of humanity and justice.”
Simona Bonafè from the Democratic Party said: “unconstitutional … undermining the foundation of our legal system that has overcome the use of corporal punishment for centuries.”
The Green and Left Alliance said the League had an “endless vocation for repression.” Another politician mocked the plan online by asking, “What’s next? Tar and feathers, or rope and soap?”
Chemical castration works by giving a person medication that lowers their testosterone levels. That can reduce libido and sexual urges.
A few countries already allow it for certain crimes, like Russia, Poland, and some U.S. states. But there’s still debate about whether it actually works, and some experts say it has serious mental and physical side effects.
Feminist groups argue that rape is not caused by uncontrollable desire but by culture and mindset. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio opposed the idea back in 2019, saying it was “a return to medieval times.”
