Sweden's ruling Moderate Party proposed reviewing the possibility of chemical castration for convicted pedophiles, linking it to conditional release, in a move to strengthen the fight against sexual abuse of children, public broadcaster SVT reported Wednesday.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the party intends to assess the measure after the upcoming election, citing examples from other countries where chemical castration has been used "successfully."
"It must be based on voluntariness to the extent that the person who is going to receive the treatment must be involved in it. But you can link it to conditional release and that you have to submit to a certain treatment in order to be released early," said Strommer.
He noted that legislation would need careful consideration to ensure it is legally secure and predictable, noting that constitutional changes would not be necessary, as forced physical interventions are prohibited.
The proposal has echoes in other Swedish political parties. Christian Democrats leader Ebba Busch recently called for similar legislation, while Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has suggested surgical castration of pedophiles as an alternative to life imprisonment.
"We are the ones who will pick up the pieces and make sure that it gets done. These are issues that have come up from time to time. Now we have come to a point, I think, where we have to seriously look at this issue," Strommer said, highlighting the Moderates' commitment to tackling serious crime.
The proposed measures also include establishing a register of high-risk offenders and introducing "digital preventive stay bans," which would restrict the use of mobile phones or computers for offenders deemed a risk, following the example in the UK.
Strommer said the digital restrictions are to enhance preventive work against sexual offenses.
"It could be about banning a high-risk person from using their mobile phone or computer in any way. For example, what websites they are allowed to visit. It's about becoming much more offensive in preventive work," he added.
