Louisiana lawmakers approve surgical castration of sex offenders

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Under an expansion of a law proposed earlier this year, some sex offenders in Louisiana could soon be required to undergo surgical castration if convicted of sex crimes.

Louisiana state lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a bill that could force people convicted of sex crimes – including rape, incest and sexual abuse – against a child under 13 to undergo the procedure.

Several states, including Louisiana, currently allow such criminals to undergo chemical castration, which involves the use of drugs that block testosterone production to reduce sex drive, but surgical castration is a more invasive procedure.

In April, Glenn Sullivan Sr., 54, of Springfield, Louisiana, was sentenced to castration after raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl, WBRZ reported. On April 17, he pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

“I felt this case was strong enough to warrant such action,” Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio told WRBZ.

He said he pushed for the sentence because of the severity of the case and Sullivan’s criminal past.

“I would like to say that I have ordered chemical castration on three people, but to my knowledge this is the first physical castration ordered,” Cascio said.

If an offender “fails to appear or refuses” to undergo castration after a judge orders the procedure, he or she could be charged with “noncompliance” and face an additional prison sentence of three to five years, depending on the wording of the bill.

“This is a consequence,” Republican Senator Valarie Hodges said during a committee hearing on the bill in April. “It goes beyond simply detaining and then releasing.”

The bill now lands on the desk of conservative Governor Jeff Landry, who will decide whether to sign it, enact it or veto it.

There are currently 2,224 people in prison in Louisiana for sex crimes against children under the age of 13. However, if the bill becomes law, it can only be applied to people convicted of a crime committed in August of this year or after.

Democratic Senator Regina Barrow, who introduced the bill, said it would be an additional punitive measure for cruel crimes. She hopes the law will serve as a deterrent to such crimes against children.

“We’re talking about babies being abused by somebody,” Barrow said during a committee meeting in April. “This is inexcusable.”

While castration is often associated with men, Barrow said the law could also be applied to women. She also stressed that the punishment is case-by-case and at the discretion of judges. The punishment is not automatic.

The bill also stipulates that a medical expert must “determine whether the offender is a suitable candidate” before the procedure is carried out.

Chemical castration is legal in a few states, including California, Florida and Texas. However, in some of these states, perpetrators can opt for the surgical procedure if they prefer.

The National Conference of State Legislatures said it was not aware of any state that currently has laws that would explicitly allow judges to order surgical castration, similar to the law proposed in Louisiana.

The current chemical castration law in Louisiana has been in place since 2008. However, very few offenders have been punished for it so far. Authorities said they were only aware of one or two cases between 2010 and 2019, the ministry said.

The bill and chemical castration laws faced opposition, with opponents calling it “cruel and unusual punishment” and questioning the effectiveness of the procedure. In addition, some Louisiana lawmakers questioned whether the punishment was too harsh for someone who may have committed only a single offense.

“When I think of a child, once is too much for me,” Barrow replied.