Indonesia considers chemical castration to punish pedophiles

A string of sex abuse cases involving children has prompted Indonesia’s health minister to consider punishing pedophiles using chemical castration.

A man who undergoes chemical castration is injected with drugs that effectively deminish his sex drive for a period of time. The procedure does not involve any surgery.

Indonesian President  Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called several cabinet meetings this month to discuss harsher measures to protect children after several  shocking abuse stories dominated the news, Reuters reported.

"Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi proposed chemical castration to deter pedophiles. But we can't comment because it is still being discussed among the ministries," Julian Pasha, spokesman to President Yudhoyono told Reuters Friday.

Police arrested a group of janitors working at the Jakarta International School last month for allegedly abusing a six-year-old student.

Also in April, the FBI said a suspected child predator had once taught at the school, in addition to other international schools in Nicaragua, Venezuela , The U.K. and other countries. The suspect, William James Vahey, committed suicide in March.

In May. police arrested a man for allegedly abusing more than 100 young  boys over  in Western Java over several months.

Indonesia--  the world's most populous Muslim nation--  is the latest Asian country to consider chemical castration. Malaysia and India recently considered similar measures against repeat sexual offenders and convicted rapists.

South Korea became the first Asian country to permit the punishment in 2011, joining a small group of nations that allow such treatment including Russia, Estonia, Poland and some U.S. states.