Indonesia approves castrating child rapists

In this photo taken on Jan. 3, 2013, Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo inspects a bus at Terminal Senen in Jakarta, Indonesia. Widodo’s trip through his inundated city of 14 million reflected his hands-on approach to leadership, a style that helped him win election in September against an incumbent who was backed by the establishment political parties. His traffic plans include more buses to ply the city’s dedicated lanes, some of which have already arrived, more roads and a scheme that would restrict the amount of cars that travel into the city center each day based on whether their license plate ends in odd or even number. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) (The Associated Press)

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo issued a regulation Wednesday that provides tougher penalties for child rapists, including chemical castration and the death penalty.

He said the administrative order is a response to increasing sexual violence against children.

"I have declared that sexual offenses against children are an extraordinary crime, because they threaten and endanger the lives of children," Jokowi said.

"An extraordinary crime deserves an exceptional response," he said. "Therefore, this regulation imposes heavier punishments and additional measures for the perpetrators of the violence."

Demands for harsher punishments have increased following the rape and murder of a teenage girl by 14 men in western Indonesia last month.

The new regulation amends a Child Protection Law issued in 2002 that carried a maximum 15-year prison sentence for persons having intercourse with a minor.

Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said Tuesday that the regulation provides greater punishments for offenders as well as psychosocial therapy for victims and their families.

She said the punishments include chemical castration for pedophiles, the use of electronic monitoring bracelets, and publication of offender identities.