In a historic ruling, a court in Madagascar has sentenced a man to surgical castration and life imprisonment with hard labor for the rape and attempted murder of a six-year-old girl. The crime took place in 2024 in Imerintsiatosika, a municipality about 30 kilometers west of the capital, Antananarivo.
Didier Razafindralambo, Attorney General at the Court of Appeal, announced the sentence in a video released by the Ministry of Justice on Thursday. “The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment with hard labor, in addition to surgical castration,” he stated.
This is the first implementation of a controversial new law passed in 2024 in Madagascar, aimed at deterring sexual violence against minors under the age of 10. The government introduced the legislation in response to a sharp rise in such crimes across the country.
Razafindralambo emphasized the significance of the ruling, saying, “Today’s verdict sends a strong message from the judiciary and is intended as a deterrent to others who may harbor similar criminal intentions.”
Surgical castration has been previously practiced with the consent of offenders in countries like Germany and the Czech Republic. In 2023, Louisiana became the first U.S. state to mandate the procedure for certain sex crimes involving minors.
Chemical castration, a reversible procedure involving drug therapy, has been adopted in several U.S. states as well as in countries like South Korea and Poland. The United Kingdom is also reportedly exploring its potential use.
However, human rights organizations have criticized both surgical and chemical castration, calling them unethical. They argue that governments should prioritize victim protection, encourage reporting of abuse, and invest in preventive measures rather than punitive extremes.
