Castration as Punishment for Rape in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Beaming Searchlight from Reproductive Health Right Perspective

Abstract

The increasing incidence of rape and sexual offences in Nigeria is not only alarming but disheartening. Several efforts have made by the federal government of Nigeria and various state governments to address the social menace, like opening sex offenders’ register, practice of naming and shaming, imposing life sentences for convicted offenders, among other steps. In all these however, the heinous crime of rape and sexual offences have not been curtailed in the country, rather it is on the increase. Kaduna state government of Nigeria, in an attempt to tackle the crime, proceeded to amend the state’s Penal Code and prescribed castration as appropriate punishment for convicted perpetrators of rape. As commendable as this may be, how effective can it serve as deterrence and does the punishment of castration fall within the goals of penology? More importantly, is castration tantamount to an abuse of reproductive health rights of the convict? These are the issues addressed in this article. The aim of this article is therefore to examine castration as punishment for the offence of rape from the perspective of criminal law and human rights. The findings of the research revealed that castration as punishment for the offence of rape in Kaduna state is a way too far, and may amount to retaliation rather than deterrence. The research concludes that cutting an aching head is not the solution to the headache, hence there are other ways to curb the rampant rape of rape than a punishment that violates reproductive health rights of the convict.

Keywords: punishment, castration, rape, perpetrators, reproductive health

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/110-01

Publication date:June 30^th 2021