Castrate child rapists?
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t006s4 (imported)
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JesusA (imported)
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Re: Castrate child rapists?
Since I dont know how long the BBC web site will maintain this news item, I decided to copy it here. If it is still up, you should check out the original site as well. There are links to several other articles of interest. The article is seven months old, but I havent found any follow-up to it yet.
'Castrate Zambia's child rapists'
Wednesday, 26 November, 2003
Child rape has helped spread Aids
Zambian members of parliament have called for child rapists to be castrated to curb a growing problem.
Police say that 400 cases of child rape were reported in the first half of 2003 - a 68% increase on the previous year.
Some men say they rape children in the belief that having sex with a virgin can cure Aids. Some 20% of Zambians are HIV positive.
The call was made in a report by the parliamentary legal committee, whose recommendations often become law.
'Barbaric'
"The recommendation is the result of the numerous cases of child defilement in the country," said Amos Nakalonga, Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Good Governance and Human Rights.
Even three-month-old babies have been raped.
"It's too barbaric to be allowed to happen," Mr Nakalonga told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
"People have observed that existing laws are weak [and] not deterring people," he said.
However, he did not say how the castration should be carried out, saying this question should be answered when the bill is drafted.
He said it was "likely" that the recommendation would become law.
The incidence of child rape is one factor behind the high number of young girls who are HIV positive.
Some Zambian women's rights activists also back the MPs' position.
Grace Kanyanga, who heads an umbrella grouping of women's rights campaigners, says that cattle-rustlers can be sentenced to 25 years in prison, while child rapists get just one or two years.
"Do we value our animals more than our children?" she asked.
"I think castration is nothing compared to raping a nine-month girl," she told BBC News Online.
BBC News UK (on-line edition)
As a boxed quotation within the article was the following:
If a man cannot handle the responsibility of his sexuality then he does not deserve to have it.
Barbra Mack, USA
'Castrate Zambia's child rapists'
Wednesday, 26 November, 2003
Child rape has helped spread Aids
Zambian members of parliament have called for child rapists to be castrated to curb a growing problem.
Police say that 400 cases of child rape were reported in the first half of 2003 - a 68% increase on the previous year.
Some men say they rape children in the belief that having sex with a virgin can cure Aids. Some 20% of Zambians are HIV positive.
The call was made in a report by the parliamentary legal committee, whose recommendations often become law.
'Barbaric'
"The recommendation is the result of the numerous cases of child defilement in the country," said Amos Nakalonga, Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Good Governance and Human Rights.
Even three-month-old babies have been raped.
"It's too barbaric to be allowed to happen," Mr Nakalonga told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
"People have observed that existing laws are weak [and] not deterring people," he said.
However, he did not say how the castration should be carried out, saying this question should be answered when the bill is drafted.
He said it was "likely" that the recommendation would become law.
The incidence of child rape is one factor behind the high number of young girls who are HIV positive.
Some Zambian women's rights activists also back the MPs' position.
Grace Kanyanga, who heads an umbrella grouping of women's rights campaigners, says that cattle-rustlers can be sentenced to 25 years in prison, while child rapists get just one or two years.
"Do we value our animals more than our children?" she asked.
"I think castration is nothing compared to raping a nine-month girl," she told BBC News Online.
BBC News UK (on-line edition)
t006s4 (imported) wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:32 am http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3239404.stm
As a boxed quotation within the article was the following:
If a man cannot handle the responsibility of his sexuality then he does not deserve to have it.
Barbra Mack, USA
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JesusA (imported)
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Re: Castrate child rapists?
One of the links from the page above was for readers comments. Here is what was posted when the comment period had ended:
Here is a selection of the comments you sent.
It would act as a deterrent and would help to protect children. The rapists have violated the human rights of the children therefore they shouldn't have any either.
Tim Metcalfe, UK
Castration is not the answer. you need information and education.
sue whitebread, england
As much as child rape is not right. Society should not be allowed to be controlled by emotions. The law should simply take its course, the should be sent to prison to give them time to reflect on the evil the have done. That is more painful than removing a body part.
A Mbalose, Zambia
It could be considered barbaric, but something has to be done to stop the rape and abuse of innocent children. I personally support the idea, and although it would never get any sort of serious consideration - It should become law here too..!
Anon UK, UK
Great idea if the justice system was infalliable, but it is not and since you cannot uncastrate someone then this should not become law. Pity because l imagine if the price of rape was castration there would be very few rapes.
Allan Mackenzie, Scotland
Indeed, castration will be a deterrent to would-be rapists. But the fact that girls so young are being raped to "cure AIDS" means that there is a fundamental lack of communication to the public on how AIDS can NOT be cured. After they stop raping girls, they will turn to something else to "cure" themselves. Education before castration.
Sudhir Devalia, Lusaka, Zambia
People are thinking with their hearts on this issue, not their heads. Rape is an issue of power, not sex, although in this case it is based on other factors, such as local beliefs around AIDS.
Darcy Perkins, CANADA
As pointed out, justice systems are rarely perfect, therefore perhaps in addition to jail time, the rapist should have one testicle removed for a first offense. Of course, a second conviction would result in the removal of the second testicle.
Richard Bamberg, USA
Whilst child rape is totally abhorrent and should in no way be condoned surely better education about the causes of HIV / AIDS is whats needed here. To educate these men that the practice they carry out will not result in their "cure" from AIDS should be a priority. Chemical castration is one answer but education is a better one.
M Dickson, UK
I fully back the idea of castrating these child rapists. That's the minimum punishment they should get. Considering the consequences of their crimes or the end results eg, HIV infection of the minor and innocent, am convinced that this sentence will be alright.
Stanley Tapera, Zimbabwe
The purpose of the crime is not sexual and for this reason the mutilation of sexual organs would not prevent further rapes.
Diana, Canada
Child rape is a heinous crime. Its perpetrators should be meted out the harshest possible punishment. But merely castrating the child rapists would not solve the problem.Infact a law can never be too foolprof to not have any loopholes. And unlike other punishment, it is irreversible. One shudders at the thought of an innocent being castrated. I believe that the punishment won't be an effective detterent as people are captive to their beliefs and superstitions. A better idea would be to spread awareness about AIDS. Meanwhile the culprits can be given a lifelong nonbailable sentence.
Hemant Kumar, India
If castration should be the penalty for rape, than the penalty for murder should be death. The penalty for stealing should be to have a hand amputated and the penalty for adultery should be stoning. Thus, castration is not the answer. In Western society rape is the one crime that makes everyone boiling mad. But this is no excuse.
Joseph Levin, USA
Yes I do agree, child rapist should be castrated. I`m a man and i want men to respect themselves below the belt.
Mukupa Mulombwa, USA
If as you report states the possible cause for this increase is due to a belief that it will cure aids.. then surely the solution is to educate the general populace that this is false. I do believe in a heavy custodial sentence for this act however castration will not really achieve anything... in much the same way the death sentence has not reduced the incidence of murder in the usa..
Paul Donegan, UK
Speaking as someone who has spent much time working in Zambian shanty townships, I would say castration would certainly be an effective deterrent in a society where rape is viewed as not that serious by many men. When you consider that child rape in an HIV rife country like Zambia is not just a violation of the child, but very likely a sentence to a slow, painful death castration does not seem so severe a punishment.
Andrew, UK
they should be castrated so that they don't repeat the same. This will also discourage others not to do it
priscillah, kenya
I think that yes, child rapists should be castrated as this would reduce their sexual drives, and would have a symbolic effect on anyone else who would try the same thing. The same logic follows for gun crime, in that if someone has a gun and uses it irresponsibly, then it should be taken away from them. These child rapists are obviously deranged and irresponsible, otherwise how would they be able to get a hard-on over a child?
Hugh Probyn, Canada
It's is a big crime to have sex with children with pretex of avoiding Aids; similarly it is a crime to castrate someone. These are both human right abuses .
Emmanuel Gonda, Canada/Sudan
Any fool that believes they can be cured of AIDS by raping a child needs that sort of deterrence. I'm sure it will save innocent lives.
Robert, Canada
I believe the child rapist, who has AIDS, should be executed. The rapist has already issued a Death Warrant on the child.
John Rutledge Smith, USA
I think if a proper jury trial is given, then castration is definitely an expectable deterrent.
Barbra Mack, USA
Yes. This is one of the few cases when drastic action is merited. Merely the threat of castration should (one would think) be enough to deter some men.
Anonymous, USA
I do believe that child rapists should be castrated. Any man will tell you, the threat of losing his testicles would be a mighty deterrent against almost any such activity. These men have jumped across the boundary line of the civilized into the immoral and the cruel . Perhaps a better course of action would be to educate the people in advance as to the realities of AIDS and the absolute futility that lies in the raping of young girls and boys in hopes of a cure.
Simon Pollard, Canada
All child rapists should be castrated whether in Africa, England or anywhere for that matter. It would act as some sort of deterrent. It doesn't violate their human rights, they violate the human rights of all those children by raping them in the first instance.
Michael Paraskeva, England
I think that castration of child rapists is a good idea. Even if it does not act as a deterrent, the offender will not be able to offend again. I do not believe it is a violation of human rights, as the offender has violated a child's human rights by raping that child.
Vivian Krynie, UK
It certainly would deter some men! But for me it is a bit too barbaric and unduly adds to the cost of justice. Simply castrating a child rapist is not sufficient punishment for the crime, it would be wrong that offenders walk free from the clinic.
Wole, UK
What a deterrent this would be! If only the government had the guts to introduce such laws in the UK our children would be safe.
Paul Baker, UK
No they should not be castrated. They should be executed instead. Such individuals do not deserve to live.
Richard, UK
If Zambia starts to castration child rapist, it's a model country to the whole world. But western human rights activist will attack Zambia, and they will demand the same punsihment to the guilty one as example the catholic priests got, nothing.
Kustaa Punkari, Finland
Here is a selection of the comments you sent.
It would act as a deterrent and would help to protect children. The rapists have violated the human rights of the children therefore they shouldn't have any either.
Tim Metcalfe, UK
Castration is not the answer. you need information and education.
sue whitebread, england
As much as child rape is not right. Society should not be allowed to be controlled by emotions. The law should simply take its course, the should be sent to prison to give them time to reflect on the evil the have done. That is more painful than removing a body part.
A Mbalose, Zambia
It could be considered barbaric, but something has to be done to stop the rape and abuse of innocent children. I personally support the idea, and although it would never get any sort of serious consideration - It should become law here too..!
Anon UK, UK
Great idea if the justice system was infalliable, but it is not and since you cannot uncastrate someone then this should not become law. Pity because l imagine if the price of rape was castration there would be very few rapes.
Allan Mackenzie, Scotland
Indeed, castration will be a deterrent to would-be rapists. But the fact that girls so young are being raped to "cure AIDS" means that there is a fundamental lack of communication to the public on how AIDS can NOT be cured. After they stop raping girls, they will turn to something else to "cure" themselves. Education before castration.
Sudhir Devalia, Lusaka, Zambia
People are thinking with their hearts on this issue, not their heads. Rape is an issue of power, not sex, although in this case it is based on other factors, such as local beliefs around AIDS.
Darcy Perkins, CANADA
As pointed out, justice systems are rarely perfect, therefore perhaps in addition to jail time, the rapist should have one testicle removed for a first offense. Of course, a second conviction would result in the removal of the second testicle.
Richard Bamberg, USA
Whilst child rape is totally abhorrent and should in no way be condoned surely better education about the causes of HIV / AIDS is whats needed here. To educate these men that the practice they carry out will not result in their "cure" from AIDS should be a priority. Chemical castration is one answer but education is a better one.
M Dickson, UK
I fully back the idea of castrating these child rapists. That's the minimum punishment they should get. Considering the consequences of their crimes or the end results eg, HIV infection of the minor and innocent, am convinced that this sentence will be alright.
Stanley Tapera, Zimbabwe
The purpose of the crime is not sexual and for this reason the mutilation of sexual organs would not prevent further rapes.
Diana, Canada
Child rape is a heinous crime. Its perpetrators should be meted out the harshest possible punishment. But merely castrating the child rapists would not solve the problem.Infact a law can never be too foolprof to not have any loopholes. And unlike other punishment, it is irreversible. One shudders at the thought of an innocent being castrated. I believe that the punishment won't be an effective detterent as people are captive to their beliefs and superstitions. A better idea would be to spread awareness about AIDS. Meanwhile the culprits can be given a lifelong nonbailable sentence.
Hemant Kumar, India
If castration should be the penalty for rape, than the penalty for murder should be death. The penalty for stealing should be to have a hand amputated and the penalty for adultery should be stoning. Thus, castration is not the answer. In Western society rape is the one crime that makes everyone boiling mad. But this is no excuse.
Joseph Levin, USA
Yes I do agree, child rapist should be castrated. I`m a man and i want men to respect themselves below the belt.
Mukupa Mulombwa, USA
If as you report states the possible cause for this increase is due to a belief that it will cure aids.. then surely the solution is to educate the general populace that this is false. I do believe in a heavy custodial sentence for this act however castration will not really achieve anything... in much the same way the death sentence has not reduced the incidence of murder in the usa..
Paul Donegan, UK
Speaking as someone who has spent much time working in Zambian shanty townships, I would say castration would certainly be an effective deterrent in a society where rape is viewed as not that serious by many men. When you consider that child rape in an HIV rife country like Zambia is not just a violation of the child, but very likely a sentence to a slow, painful death castration does not seem so severe a punishment.
Andrew, UK
they should be castrated so that they don't repeat the same. This will also discourage others not to do it
priscillah, kenya
I think that yes, child rapists should be castrated as this would reduce their sexual drives, and would have a symbolic effect on anyone else who would try the same thing. The same logic follows for gun crime, in that if someone has a gun and uses it irresponsibly, then it should be taken away from them. These child rapists are obviously deranged and irresponsible, otherwise how would they be able to get a hard-on over a child?
Hugh Probyn, Canada
It's is a big crime to have sex with children with pretex of avoiding Aids; similarly it is a crime to castrate someone. These are both human right abuses .
Emmanuel Gonda, Canada/Sudan
Any fool that believes they can be cured of AIDS by raping a child needs that sort of deterrence. I'm sure it will save innocent lives.
Robert, Canada
I believe the child rapist, who has AIDS, should be executed. The rapist has already issued a Death Warrant on the child.
John Rutledge Smith, USA
I think if a proper jury trial is given, then castration is definitely an expectable deterrent.
No amount of talking about what causes HIV is going to alter the morals of a person willing to rape a child. This is not a matter of ignorance, but a matter of adult depravity.JesusA (imported) wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2004 12:51 pm If a man cannot handle the responsibility of his sexuality then he does not deserve to have it.
Barbra Mack, USA
Yes. This is one of the few cases when drastic action is merited. Merely the threat of castration should (one would think) be enough to deter some men.
Anonymous, USA
I do believe that child rapists should be castrated. Any man will tell you, the threat of losing his testicles would be a mighty deterrent against almost any such activity. These men have jumped across the boundary line of the civilized into the immoral and the cruel . Perhaps a better course of action would be to educate the people in advance as to the realities of AIDS and the absolute futility that lies in the raping of young girls and boys in hopes of a cure.
Simon Pollard, Canada
All child rapists should be castrated whether in Africa, England or anywhere for that matter. It would act as some sort of deterrent. It doesn't violate their human rights, they violate the human rights of all those children by raping them in the first instance.
Michael Paraskeva, England
I think that castration of child rapists is a good idea. Even if it does not act as a deterrent, the offender will not be able to offend again. I do not believe it is a violation of human rights, as the offender has violated a child's human rights by raping that child.
Vivian Krynie, UK
It certainly would deter some men! But for me it is a bit too barbaric and unduly adds to the cost of justice. Simply castrating a child rapist is not sufficient punishment for the crime, it would be wrong that offenders walk free from the clinic.
Wole, UK
What a deterrent this would be! If only the government had the guts to introduce such laws in the UK our children would be safe.
Paul Baker, UK
No they should not be castrated. They should be executed instead. Such individuals do not deserve to live.
Richard, UK
If Zambia starts to castration child rapist, it's a model country to the whole world. But western human rights activist will attack Zambia, and they will demand the same punsihment to the guilty one as example the catholic priests got, nothing.
Kustaa Punkari, Finland
40736.stm
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FianceeUvBigGuy (imported)
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Re: Castrate child rapists?
Yes, I feel that castration would be the appropriate punishment. Further, it should be performed on the offender either before witnesses or broadcast on the media. Actually seeing another male losing his testicles would be a far more effective deterrent that just reading or hearing that it had been done.
I was nearly raped when I was in middle school (age 13). Had it not been for the school band director hearing my cries and beating the would-be rapist/ janitor (an illegal immigrant from the cesspool to the south) so badly, (including repeated kicks to the genitals,) that he nearly died, I would probably have been raped and killed. That incident lead to my personal interest in castration and I'm darned unashamed of it.
I can understand the concerns of those who fear that draconian punishment by mutilation might become the norm. However, this particular situation, existing in a culture that can be called, at best, "backward", calls for measures that would make a statement that cannot be ignored.
We must be mindful that the rapists and wanna-bes in that and other semi-primitive societies cannot be deterred by the threat of imprisonment.
Sorry to be so serious this early in the A.M., LOL.
Love to all,
Yolanda (AKA Yoli)
La Chica Muy Loco en La Ciudad de San Antonio
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JesusA (imported)
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Re: Castrate child rapists?
Since the Nonfiction Board is a moderated one, and I don't necessarily get to it every day, it's certainly best that all comments and discussion on any of the items on this board be posted on one of the other boards - where they would appear instantly for further feedback.
I'm "validating" Yoli's post above about a day after she submitted it. It's deserving of further commentary that needs to be on Eunuch Central for quicker response.
----Jesus, your friendly, but not very efficient, moderator
I'm "validating" Yoli's post above about a day after she submitted it. It's deserving of further commentary that needs to be on Eunuch Central for quicker response.
----Jesus, your friendly, but not very efficient, moderator
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JesusA (imported)
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Re: Castrate child rapists?
Some additional fuel for the fire from the San Francisco Chronicle. Post any comments to Eunuch Central, which is not moderated. Your comments will appear immediately.
Therapy dissects sex crimes, strives to reduce urges
Most patients refuse to participate -- 'we have less privileges than in prison'
Jim Doyle,
San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County -- There are no electrical outlets, tables or chairs in the dorms for sexually violent predators at the state hospital here.
Each patient has a locker. A night-light in each room stays on. Each ward has one television and a shared telephone. Fights occur over phone and TV use, patients told The Chronicle during interviews and a tour of the hospital.
Patients are angry about the Sexually Violent Predator Law, which allows the state to extend their incarceration after their prison terms are completed. They say they've done their time for their sex crimes. They insist on being called inmates, and publish a newsletter: Echoes of the Gulag.
Most swear they can control their sexual urges, but some therapists who have treated Atascadero offenders say that it is very difficult for many of them to succeed in this effort because their desires are so strong or they are in denial about what they have done.
A class-action lawsuit filed in 1998 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of ex-convicts held under the sexual predator law accuses state officials of violating their constitutional rights.
"Many of the conditions are more degrading, arbitrary and/or restrictive than those at California prisons," says the suit filed by the Los Angeles law firm of Latham & Watkins. "Such punitive treatment is, by design, not therapeutic in nature." Among the alleged practices being challenged by the patients' lawsuit are forced medication and punishment for refusing to participate in treatment.
"We have less privileges than we had in prison," said convicted rapist and child molester John Kreischer, 58, who was sent to Atascadero in 2000 after finishing his prison term. "They are continually taking, taking, taking our rights away. ... I'm a citizen."
Hospital employees told The Chronicle that few demands are placed on the patients, who can pass time playing cards, going to the gym and playing handball in the courtyard. Patients can have adult pornography. Possession of child pornography is illegal.
Patients who elected to be in the treatment program can go to a suite with a library of magazines and private laboratory rooms. In the penile plethysmograph lab, a patient's arousal is tested with photographic images. Some show adults having sex. In at least one video, actors simulate a rape.
Hospital officials say no child pornography is used in these "phallometric assessments." A patient may view a slide of a girl in a bathing suit or a boy whose buttocks are turned toward the camera. Faces are digitally obscured.
A patient who participates in the therapy program must be willing to discuss his sexual offenses and run the risk that what he says may be used against him in court. Polygraph tests are used to see if patients are being honest. Group therapy is the treatment program's main focus.
"The treatment started the process of feeling the hurt that I caused, and knowing why," said patient James Lamb, 45, a child molester from Monterey.
Dan Kalish, 55, a San Bernardino car mechanic, was sent to Atascadero in 1996 after a judge ruled he probably qualified as a sexual predator. He has been at Atascadero for eight years without a civil trial required under the law to determine if he should be committed for two years as a predator.
Kalish, who spent 1 1/2 years in prison for a conviction of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor, said part of the reason he has been at Atascadero so long is that he has fought his commitment in the courts. "There's been more people getting out of the program by dying than going through the treatment program.''
In twice-weekly group therapy sessions, patients analyze decisions that resulted in their previous offenses. They discuss ways to avoid high-risk situations.
"We dissect the known sex offenses and figure out what was going on in a person's mind when the offense was committed," said Dr. Gabrielle M. Paladino, a psychiatrist at Atascadero.
Patients later undergo cognitive-behavioral therapies also aimed at "relapse prevention," including sessions where they view pornography while being subjected to noxious smells and vapors.
In another form of therapy, called "covert sensitization," a patient uses an audiotape player to record his deviant sexual fantasies, then modifies the tapes to include negative thoughts capable of dampening his sex urges. A patient's erectile response to these stimuli is tracked by the penile plethysmograph, a coil-like device that measures any changes in the circumference of the penis.
Another therapy practiced at the hospital is "masturbation satiation'' where "you literally masturbate until you are sick of it, until it's dreariness," Paladino said.
Nine patients are voluntarily taking Lupron, a female hormone estrogen that lowers production of testosterone to decrease their sex drive. Paladino cautions that such drugs "can be extremely helpful. ... (But) sexual behavior is a very complicated process. It's not regulated by a single hormone."
Bone density loss is one of Lupron's side effects. A dozen patients, including several with osteoporosis, have stopped taking the drug due to bone density problems. Seven have sued in federal court, saying the state failed to inform them of Lupron's side effects. The state denies it.
Ten patients, including treatment program graduates Brian DeVries and Patrick Ghilotti, have chosen at their own expense to be surgically castrated. Hospital officials stress that castration does not eliminate the threat posed by a predator. They also acknowledge the treatment sessions are not a cure-all.
Some patients, such as Anthony McGowan, 50, of Hayward, insist that the treatment will help them live a crime-free life. "You can't go out hurting women," said McGowan, a convicted rapist. "Once I get out of here, if I hurt someone again I won't be coming back. I'll be doing life in prison."
However, many question whether sexual predators can ever be changed.
"Rape isn't about sex. It's about sadism, power and cruelty," said Rhonda James, executive director of Community Violence Solutions, which runs rape crisis centers in Marin and Contra Costa counties. "We don't have enough research to tell us that these violent predators can be treated."
Chronicle research librarian Kathleen Rhodes contributed to this report.E-mail Jim Doyle at jdoyle@sfchronicle.com.
Page A - 19
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... 7ILU21.DTL
Therapy dissects sex crimes, strives to reduce urges
Most patients refuse to participate -- 'we have less privileges than in prison'
Jim Doyle,
San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County -- There are no electrical outlets, tables or chairs in the dorms for sexually violent predators at the state hospital here.
Each patient has a locker. A night-light in each room stays on. Each ward has one television and a shared telephone. Fights occur over phone and TV use, patients told The Chronicle during interviews and a tour of the hospital.
Patients are angry about the Sexually Violent Predator Law, which allows the state to extend their incarceration after their prison terms are completed. They say they've done their time for their sex crimes. They insist on being called inmates, and publish a newsletter: Echoes of the Gulag.
Most swear they can control their sexual urges, but some therapists who have treated Atascadero offenders say that it is very difficult for many of them to succeed in this effort because their desires are so strong or they are in denial about what they have done.
A class-action lawsuit filed in 1998 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of ex-convicts held under the sexual predator law accuses state officials of violating their constitutional rights.
"Many of the conditions are more degrading, arbitrary and/or restrictive than those at California prisons," says the suit filed by the Los Angeles law firm of Latham & Watkins. "Such punitive treatment is, by design, not therapeutic in nature." Among the alleged practices being challenged by the patients' lawsuit are forced medication and punishment for refusing to participate in treatment.
"We have less privileges than we had in prison," said convicted rapist and child molester John Kreischer, 58, who was sent to Atascadero in 2000 after finishing his prison term. "They are continually taking, taking, taking our rights away. ... I'm a citizen."
Hospital employees told The Chronicle that few demands are placed on the patients, who can pass time playing cards, going to the gym and playing handball in the courtyard. Patients can have adult pornography. Possession of child pornography is illegal.
Patients who elected to be in the treatment program can go to a suite with a library of magazines and private laboratory rooms. In the penile plethysmograph lab, a patient's arousal is tested with photographic images. Some show adults having sex. In at least one video, actors simulate a rape.
Hospital officials say no child pornography is used in these "phallometric assessments." A patient may view a slide of a girl in a bathing suit or a boy whose buttocks are turned toward the camera. Faces are digitally obscured.
A patient who participates in the therapy program must be willing to discuss his sexual offenses and run the risk that what he says may be used against him in court. Polygraph tests are used to see if patients are being honest. Group therapy is the treatment program's main focus.
"The treatment started the process of feeling the hurt that I caused, and knowing why," said patient James Lamb, 45, a child molester from Monterey.
Dan Kalish, 55, a San Bernardino car mechanic, was sent to Atascadero in 1996 after a judge ruled he probably qualified as a sexual predator. He has been at Atascadero for eight years without a civil trial required under the law to determine if he should be committed for two years as a predator.
Kalish, who spent 1 1/2 years in prison for a conviction of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor, said part of the reason he has been at Atascadero so long is that he has fought his commitment in the courts. "There's been more people getting out of the program by dying than going through the treatment program.''
In twice-weekly group therapy sessions, patients analyze decisions that resulted in their previous offenses. They discuss ways to avoid high-risk situations.
"We dissect the known sex offenses and figure out what was going on in a person's mind when the offense was committed," said Dr. Gabrielle M. Paladino, a psychiatrist at Atascadero.
Patients later undergo cognitive-behavioral therapies also aimed at "relapse prevention," including sessions where they view pornography while being subjected to noxious smells and vapors.
In another form of therapy, called "covert sensitization," a patient uses an audiotape player to record his deviant sexual fantasies, then modifies the tapes to include negative thoughts capable of dampening his sex urges. A patient's erectile response to these stimuli is tracked by the penile plethysmograph, a coil-like device that measures any changes in the circumference of the penis.
Another therapy practiced at the hospital is "masturbation satiation'' where "you literally masturbate until you are sick of it, until it's dreariness," Paladino said.
Nine patients are voluntarily taking Lupron, a female hormone estrogen that lowers production of testosterone to decrease their sex drive. Paladino cautions that such drugs "can be extremely helpful. ... (But) sexual behavior is a very complicated process. It's not regulated by a single hormone."
Bone density loss is one of Lupron's side effects. A dozen patients, including several with osteoporosis, have stopped taking the drug due to bone density problems. Seven have sued in federal court, saying the state failed to inform them of Lupron's side effects. The state denies it.
Ten patients, including treatment program graduates Brian DeVries and Patrick Ghilotti, have chosen at their own expense to be surgically castrated. Hospital officials stress that castration does not eliminate the threat posed by a predator. They also acknowledge the treatment sessions are not a cure-all.
Some patients, such as Anthony McGowan, 50, of Hayward, insist that the treatment will help them live a crime-free life. "You can't go out hurting women," said McGowan, a convicted rapist. "Once I get out of here, if I hurt someone again I won't be coming back. I'll be doing life in prison."
However, many question whether sexual predators can ever be changed.
"Rape isn't about sex. It's about sadism, power and cruelty," said Rhonda James, executive director of Community Violence Solutions, which runs rape crisis centers in Marin and Contra Costa counties. "We don't have enough research to tell us that these violent predators can be treated."
Chronicle research librarian Kathleen Rhodes contributed to this report.E-mail Jim Doyle at jdoyle@sfchronicle.com.
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