One of the main objectives of the visit was to review action taken to bring an end to the application of testicular pulpectomy (“surgical castration”) vis-à-vis detained sex offenders, in the light of the recommendations made in the report on the CPT’s visit to the Czech Republic in March/April 2008. The CPT’s delegation held discussions with Government ministers and officials on this subject. In its visit report, the CPT once again calls upon the Czech authorities to bring an immediate end to the application of surgical castration in the context of the treatment of sex offenders.

In their response, the Czech authorities state that the issue of surgical castration of sex offenders is the subject of ongoing discussions by various advisory bodies to the Government. Further, to assist the process of reflection an expert study is being prepared by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Government Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition to examining the medical, ethical and legal aspects of the application of testicular pulpectomy in relation to sex offenders, the study will also include a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of possible alternative methods for treating sex offenders, as well as information about the methods used to treat sex offenders in other countries.

The Czech authorities also refer in their response to measures taken to ensure that CPT visiting delegations have unrestricted access to medical records.

The CPT’s visit report and the Czech Government’s response are available in English on the Committee's website: www.cpt.coe.int.