Because nobody has ever been falsely accused of a sexual offense. Original Article Castration proposed for sex offenders Conrad Defiebre, Star Tribune February 18, 2005 Serious sex offenders who prey on children in Minnesota should be subject to court-ordered castration -- surgical or chemical -- a group of Republican legislators proposed Thursday. "At first glance that may seem to be a little overboard," said Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, chief sponsor of a bill introduced in the House to promote what he called "asexual rehabilitation" for pedophiles. "But it would control the urges that they cannot control themselves." Scientific research in Europe has shown that chemical castration with regular injections of antiandrogen drugs such as depo provera can reduce recidivism by child sex offenders to near zero, said Emmer, a lawyer and freshman legislator who has seven children in school. Sex offender treatment professionals, however, downplayed the effectiveness of such an approach in most cases. "It's of limited utility to a very limited population," said Patricia Orud, who oversees sex offender treatment in Minnesota prisons. "It has gained popularity with the public, but the professionals are careful to apply it only in the correct cases." A 1991 Star Tribune Minnesota Poll found support among 56 percent of the public for surgical castration of repeat sex offenders and 51 percent backing for administering "drugs to make them impotent." The same poll showed 37 percent support for the death penalty for child sex abuse. Emmer's proposal was greeted with caution at the State Capitol. Gov. Tim Pawlenty "wants to gather more information, but he's willing to explore the idea," said his spokesman, Brian McClung. Senate Crime Prevention and Public Safety Chairman Leo Foley, DFL-Coon Rapids, said he knew nothing about the proposal and expressed doubt whether he would have time to hear it in committee. So far, no Senate version of the bill has been introduced. A California first About 10 states, including Wisconsin and Iowa, have laws allowing castration of certain sex offenders, the first enacted in California in 1996. Emmer gave no count of offenders who have been castrated nationwide or in any state. And he said he did not know how many "preferential pedophiles," child sex abusers not motivated by rage, anger or special circumstances, would fall under his bill in Minnesota. Following conviction for sex abuse of a child under the age of 13, offenders would face an evidentiary hearing before a jury to determine whether aggravating factors exist to warrant castration. The factors would include prior sex crimes, repeated assaults on one victim, significant injury to the victim and crimes deemed "especially serious, atrocious or cruel." If such factors were found, a judge could order either surgical or chemical castration. DNA proof of the offender's guilt and automatic review by the Minnesota Court of Appeals would have to precede the surgery. "I understand the need to be protective of constitutional rights, even for this type of convicted criminal," Emmer said. "I feel we've drafted a bill that protects society while preserving civil liberties." The bill also allows for castration of adult inmates who request it in writing. Orud said a handful of Minnesota sex offenders have volunteered for chemical castration, which is eventually reversible if treatments are discontinued. But Orud and Gerald Kaplan, executive director of Alpha Human Services, the state's only licensed sex offender treatment center, said that common antidepressants such as Prozac are often just as effective as the antiandrogens in dulling deviant sexual urges. Antidepressants also produce fewer side effects such as extreme weight gain, high blood pressure and heart problems, they said. And Kaplan said no castration drug is a cure-all for pedophiles. "If they're interested in children, it's not going to make them interested in adults," he said. "It may slow them down, but it won't change the direction of their arousal patterns." Conrad deFiebre is at cdefiebre@startribune.com.