The Scottish Government is looking into the possibility of offering “chemical castration” to paedophiles living in Scotland.
A leading psychiatric consultant has been appointed to work with prisons and social workers throughout the country to determine a possible nationwide program of chemical treatments for convicted sex offenders.
Following similar schemes in Sweden, Denmark, Canada and parts of the US, volunteers who have sexually abused children may be given drugs to repress their libido and reduce the chance of them reoffending.
Last year Westminster ministers backed the same idea for use in England and Wales.
The medication reduces testosterone levels to that of a pre-pubescent boy, creating an effect similar to surgical castration.
It would only be offered at the end of an offender’s sentence and would not be an alternative to prison.
A Scottish Government spokesman said yesterday: “We are closely following developments in England and Wales to develop evidence-based and best-practice guidance on the use of anti-libidinal and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication for sex offenders.
“The mainstay of treatments continues to be psychological therapies and any form of treatment would be accompanied by appropriate monitoring and supervision.”
If brought into use, the drug would be regularly offered at Peterhead jail, which is the country’s only prison specifically dedicated to sex offenders.
Peterhead councillor Sam Coull has been investigating the number of sex offenders who commit further crimes in the north-east after being let out of the jail.
He said: “Sex offenders who leave prison need to be monitored above anything else.
“Getting volunteers to take the drug would be a step forward but there are downsides to everything. It is only effective if they continue taking the medication so we would have to guarantee that they are going to do that.”
NHS Lothian’s Dr Rajan Darjee, who is heading the research, said: “It’s not something that should be put in the water at Peterhead. It should be done on a voluntary basis with sex offenders who realise they have a problem.”