Support for rapists' castration
2008-07-09 18:07
Kuala Lumpur - A senior female minister in Malaysia said on Wednesday she backs the castration of repeat offender rapists as a way to put a stop to a surge in rape cases here.
"I think that drastic action is needed for such a heinous crime," the country's minister for women, family and community development Ng Yen Yen was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.
"It should be an issue for discussion. We should think of the role of castration to prevent rape," she said.
"I am all for it," she added.
The minister called for a public debate on the sensitive matter in predominantly Muslim Malaysia.
Her remarks come amid a sharp rise in the number of rape cases in Malaysia.
A total of 3 177 rape cases were reported in 2007, up 68% from 1 887 in 2005, Ng said.
- AFP