Castration doesn’t solve anything
Published 8:35 am Friday, March 25, 2011
I’m writing in response to the letter Wednesday from Roger Fink. While I’m not sure what the city manager issues and chemical castration have to do with each other (nothing at all, I hope, for those involved), I’d like to comment on chemical castration and rape.
Rape is about the offender’s need for power and control, not about sexual gratification. Chemical castration will not prevent offenders from raping. Case in point is former Republican candidate Mike Huckabee, who helped pardon convicted rapist Wayne Dumond, who was castrated a decade before his release in 1999. After being pardoned Wayne Dumond went on to rape and murder one, possibly two, women.
I find it horrifying that Minnesota is looking at the dollar signs instead of the statistics when it comes to violent sexual offenders. There is no reliable treatment for violent, predatory offenders. They can not be fixed. They will reoffend. It could be your child, your wife, your mother that becomes the next victim. How many dollar signs then?
I hope people will keep in mind the case of Joseph Duncan, who in 2005 skipped bail after molesting two boys in Detroit Lakes. He was already a covicted rapist with more than 20 victims and was suspected in a murder case at this point. Two months later he murdered three people in Idaho and kidnapped two children, Shasta Groene, 8, and Dylan Groene, 9. He repeatedly molested both children and murdered Dylan after torturing the little boy. Have you ever read about what Joseph Duncan did to Dylan Groene? I did, and it haunts me. It is the most horrible thing I’ve ever read.
Despite the costs there are areas where we just can’t cut corners. The incarceration of violent sexual offenders is one of those areas.
Joanna Dye
Albert Lea