A Madagascar court has sentenced a man to surgical castration and life imprisonment with hard labour for raping and attempting to murder a six-year-old girl, marking the first use of the island nation’s controversial 2024 law targeting child sex offenders.
The sentence was handed down by the Madagascar court of appeal for the attack in Imerintsiatosika, approximately 30 kilometres west of the capital Antananarivo. Attorney General Didier Razafindralambo confirmed the ruling on Thursday, describing it as a “strong and significant response” from the justice system.
Today’s decision is intended also to serve as a warning to anyone with similar malicious intentions,” Razafindralambo said in a video statement released by the Ministry of Justice.
First Application of New Law
The ruling represents the first implementation of legislation passed in February 2024 that permits surgical castration for individuals convicted of raping children under ten years old. The law mandates surgical castration for all cases involving victims under ten, whilst allowing courts to choose between surgical or chemical castration for offences against children aged ten to thirteen.
For crimes involving minors aged fourteen to seventeen, only chemical castration is prescribed. All convicted offenders also face enhanced prison sentences of up to life imprisonment alongside the castration procedures.
Surgical castration involves the permanent removal of the testes and is irreversible, whilst chemical castration uses drugs to block hormones and decrease sexual desire, remaining reversible if medication is discontinued.
International Context
Madagascar joins a limited number of jurisdictions globally that permit surgical castration as punishment for sexual offences. Germany and the Czech Republic have implemented surgical castration with the defendant’s consent, whilst Louisiana recently became the first US state to allow judges to order the procedure for sexual offenders.
Several nations including Russia, Poland, and South Korea employ chemical castration as a preventative measure, typically through regular drug administration. The United Kingdom is currently expanding its use of chemical castration, with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announcing in May 2025 the extension of a pilot scheme to twenty prisons across two regions.
The review has recommended we continue a pilot of so-called medication to manage problematic sexual arousal,” Mahmood told MPs. “I will go further with a national rollout, beginning in two regions covering 20 prisons. And I am exploring whether mandating the approach is possible.”
Human Rights Concerns
The Madagascar law has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organisations. Amnesty International condemned the measure as “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” that violates Madagascar’s constitutional provisions against torture and ill-treatment.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, argued that implementing castration as punishment is “inconsistent with Malagasy constitutional provisions against torture and other ill-treatment, as well as regional and international human rights standards.
Nciko wa Nciko, an adviser for Madagascar at Amnesty International, raised concerns about potential miscarriages of justice. Surgical castration was a problematic criminal sentence if anyone who underwent it was later exonerated of a crime on appeal,” he stated, also questioning the medical capabilities of authorities to perform such procedures.
Divided Domestic Opinion
Within Madagascar, the law has found support amongst some activists who argue that existing measures have failed to address what they describe as a “rape culture” in the country. Jessica Lolonirina Nivoseheno of the Women Break the Silence group, which campaigns against rape and supports victims, called the law “progress” as a deterrent.
“There really is a rape culture in Madagascar,” Nivoseheno said. We are in the process of normalising certain cases of sexual violence, also minimising the seriousness of these cases.
Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa defended the legislation, citing rising cases of child rape. In 2023, authorities recorded 600 cases of minor rape, with 133 cases reported in January 2024 alone before the law’s passage.
“Madagascar is a sovereign country which has the right to modify its laws in relation to circumstances and in the general interest of the people,” Randriamanantenasoa stated. “The current penal code has not been enough to curb the perpetrators of these offences.”
Systemic Challenges
Critics argue the law fails to address fundamental issues within Madagascar’s justice system. Many rape cases remain unreported due to victims‘ and families’ fear of retaliation, stigmatisation, and lack of trust in judicial processes. NGOs report that official figures likely underestimate the true scale of child sexual abuse, with a significant portion of cases being incestuous.
“On the island, complaint procedures and trials are not carried out anonymously,” explained Nciko wa Nciko. “There is a lack of confidence in the Malagasy criminal justice system, due to opacity and corruption. And reprisals against rape victims are frequent. However, the law does not combat these factors.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund has consistently highlighted high rates of sexual abuse against children in Madagascar, which faces one of the world’s highest poverty rates. Advocates argue that resources would be better directed towards supporting survivors and encouraging reporting rather than implementing irreversible punishments.
Global Debate on Effectiveness
The use of castration for sex offenders remains highly contentious globally. Studies cited by UK Justice Secretary Mahmood suggest chemical castration could reduce reoffending by up to 60 per cent, though experts note it may not be effective for offenders motivated by power and control rather than sexual urges.
The UN Committee Against Torture urged the Czech Republic in 2017 to end non-consensual castrations, citing human rights concerns. Medical ethicists have raised questions about consent, potential side effects including cardiovascular issues and osteoporosis, and the ethics of mandatory procedures.
As Madagascar implements its first surgical castration sentence, the case highlights ongoing global debates about balancing public safety, punishment, rehabilitation, and human rights in addressing sexual violence against children. The effectiveness of such measures in deterring future crimes remains a subject of intense scrutiny amongst legal experts and human rights advocates worldwide.
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Image Credit:
Navy Doctors Perform a Surgery Aboard USNS Comfort – Image by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Danny Ray Nunez Jr., U.S. Navy, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
2 comments
Excellent sexual crime should be a mandatory castration for men and women in all countries, Good for Madagascar 🇲🇬.
As for Starmmer what can one say,he’s determined to ruin Britain and take it away from it’s born and bred citizens, He needs to go,We need a decent and new Primeminister before it’s too late.
Excellent sexual crime should be a mandatory castration for men and women in all countries, Good for Madagascar 🇲🇬.
As for Starmmer what can one say,he’s determined to ruin Britain and take it away from it’s born and bred citizens, He needs to go,We need a decent and new Primeminister before it’s too late.
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