A Hungarian opposition MP has submitted a bill that would introduce so-called chemical castration for certain sex offenders in an effort to reduce the risk of repeat crimes against children. The proposal follows the Polish model, but a previous Orbán government rejected a similar idea on human rights and health grounds.

Előd Novák, an MP for the opposition Mi Hazánk party, submitted the proposal to the Hungarian National Assembly this week.

According to the bill, offenders considered at risk of committing further sexual crimes could undergo drug treatment aimed at reducing sexual drive, rather than relying primarily on psychiatric treatment in a closed institution.

Novák argues that Hungary’s existing rules do not sufficiently prevent repeat offending among this group and that stronger measures are needed to protect children. The treatment would be administered under the supervision of Hungary’s Judicial Observation and Psychiatric Institute (IMEI), with the drug-based form generally provided as outpatient care.

What does ‘chemical castration’ actually mean?

Despite the name, the proposal does not involve surgery. “Chemical castration” is a commonly used term for hormonal drug treatment, usually involving anti-androgen medication that suppresses the effects of male sex hormones and lowers testosterone levels.

Its purpose is to reduce sexual drive and, in theory, lower the risk of further sexual offending. As Index notes, medical professionals often prefer terms such as hormonal treatment or libido-reducing medication, as “chemical castration” can give a misleading impression of what the procedure involves.

The Mi Hazánk proposal explicitly points to Poland as a model.

Czechia has an even more controversial system. Pharmacological treatment is used there, while Czech law also continues to permit surgical castration in tightly regulated cases following a written request from the patient.

The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee has repeatedly called for the practice to be abolished; its latest report said five applications for surgical castration were approved between 2018 and 2023.

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The idea has surfaced in Hungary before

The proposal is not entirely new to Hungarian politics. Dóra Dúró, now also a Mi Hazánk politician, raised similar proposals while she was a Jobbik MP, while other politicians on the nationalist right have called for stronger medical measures against child sex offenders over the years.

The issue returned to the political agenda after Hungary’s 2024 presidential pardon scandal, when Mi Hazánk leader László Toroczkai said his party would introduce castration for paedophile offenders if it came to power.

Orbán government previously rejected the measure

The previous Orbán government had already considered — and rejected — the idea. In 2013, Hungary’s Justice Ministry said the government did not plan to introduce chemical castration, pointing to constitutional and human rights protections concerning human dignity, physical and mental health, and the prohibition of torture or degrading treatment.

The ministry also warned at the time that the treatment could have serious health consequences and that its effectiveness in preventing further offences was not guaranteed.

For now, Novák’s proposal remains only a bill before parliament, with its prospects uncertain. Much will depend on whether Fidesz sticks to its earlier opposition and whether the governing Tisza majority is prepared to support the measure.

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Photo: Előd Novák / Facebook