Human rights for the inhuman

Do pedophiles have human rights? Poland's answer is a resounding "no," as legislation debated last month in the Polish parliament set to enforce compulsory chemical castration for convicted pedophiles. The proposal garnered 84 percent support from Poles, but it has been widely condemned by European Union leaders, who view it as a violation of human rights. Although the legislation is aimed at protecting future victims, it undermines the Polish legal system, the ethics of medical science, and the classification of pedophilia as a crime. In a modern political community like Europe, everyone should enjoy basic human rights - even those considered inhuman. [...]

Compulsory chemical castration has no place in the modern world. Its implementation as a so-called "cure" for mental illness violates the morals of medicine and contradicts criminal punishment of pedophiles. Similarly, chemical castration as punishment undermines the foundations of a modern legal system, and is a serious violation of human rights, It is utterly unethical for governments to enforce mandatory chemical castration on pedophiles; the Polish Parliament should reject the proposed legislation.

source: Article 'Human Rights for the Inhuman' by Olivia M. Goldhill; www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=525546; The Harvard Crimson; 23 November 2008