European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Castration judicious solution or cruel and unusual punishment by Mitchell Landsberg associated press men wince at the word it evokes images of eunuchs and castrate choirs nazi Germany and Sigmund Freud. But castration has been hauled into Public discourse by a judge who ordered it performed on a child molester. State District judge Mike Mcspadden of Houston saw it As a solution to one of society s most vexing problems sexual assault. While some people agreed others saw it As Barbaric freakish cruel and unnecessary. It s an old debate one that goes Back to at least the 1850s in the United states. By the Middle of this Century it was mostly discredited but there has been a revival of discussion in the past couple of years. Mcspadden in his decision earlier this month did not approve the surgery on an unwilling subject. Steven Allen Butler said he preferred to have his Testicles removed than face trial for the rape of a 13-year-old girl. The crime carried the possibility of a life sentence. Instead Butler who was already on probation for indecency with a child would be placed on a form of probation for 10 years. The castration has now been called off because Butler s attorney could not find a doctor willing to perform the operation. The attorney has dropped out of the Case As has Mcspadden. In agreeing to the surgery. Mcspadden apparently was counting on the procedure to deflate Butler s sex drive and aggressiveness. That Assumption underlies most of the attempts to make castration a part of the judicial process. The Testicles produce much though not All of a Man s testosterone the main readers action line hormone fueling the male sex drive. Without them a Man can still have an erection and still have sex. But his desire for it May decline dramatically. He does not As folklore would have it suddenly gain a Soprano voice. That is the result of castrating boys who have not yet reached puberty a practice that produced the famous castrate singers of the 17th and 18th centuries. According to researcher Philip Reilly executive director of the Shriver Center for mental retardation in Massachusetts castration was widely discussed in America in the 1850s. It was imposed on a convicted rapist in Belton Texas in 1864. That was the Only time it has been legally imposed on a rapist without his consent Reilly said although forced sterilization was common for retarded people a male and female a in the Early part of this Century Quot the Houston Case is not the first time in modern times that a judge has suggested or a defendant has volunteered to have castration a he added. But he said such voluntary arrangements have been extremely rare. There was a flurry of pro castration activity two years ago when legislators in three states introduced Bills to allow sex offenders to be castrated in Exchange for reductions in their prison sentences. The Bills never went anywhere. One passed the Washington state Senate but was Defeated in the House. Bills in Alabama and Indiana did t get that far. Still they pointed to rising frustration Over sex crimes and the belief of Many people that sex criminals cannot be rehabilitated by conventional Means. Quot we re not doing anything in any kind of therapy or incarceration that comes anywhere near castration a Washington state sen. Ellen Craswell the sponsor of Steven Allen Butler right volunteered to be castrated rather than face trial. His Case is not the first to raise the castration Issue in court. Her state s castration Bill said at the time. Also in 1990, a judge in Westmoreland county pa., made castration a part of his sentence against a Man convicted of sexually abusing a girl. Judge Gilfert m. Mihalich sentenced Samuel Elbert Powell to 30 to 60 years in prison but also recommended he be castrated if he Ever won a furlough or Early release. Mihalich said he received hundreds of letters applauding the sentence which is under Appeal. He said earlier this month he Stilt believes he did the right thing and that the sentence does not violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Quot in fact a he said Quot the cruel or unusual or barbarous treatment was forced upon the  in one celebrated Case several years ago in Michigan an Upjohn co. Heir who raped his stepdaughter was ordered to undergo a chemical castration by taking the drug depo Provera an Upjohn product that stops the body s production of testosterone. The sentence was overturned on Appeal. Some prominent sex researchers say depo Provera can be effective if used selectively and combined with counselling or other treatment. They take a dim View of surgical castration. Or. John Money a professor emeritus at the sexual disorders clinic at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said there is no Assurance castration would have any effect on a sex deviant except to make him infertile. By contrast depo Provera can have a tranquil izing effect on that part of the brain that stimulates aggressive sexual behaviour Quot surgical castration does t do anything to Tranquiline the erotic centers in the brain Quot Money said. Critics of depo Provera say it is impractical since it requires continual treatments Over a lifetime. Defendants would require constant monitoring. On the other hand Money and others Point out the effects of surgical castration can be overcome by testosterone  drm0 sales to off duty hours people who work daytime monday to Friday get frustrated by All the announcements of demo sales on weekdays around Europe which they cannot attend. Although i am one of those weekday workers i have attended two sales on vacation Days and have wished i could attend More. I suggest that All or Many of these sales be moved to saturday a Day on which Many More people could take advantage of them. This appears to be a logical change that would Benefit Many people and i find it amazing that the switch to saturday demo sales did no to occur Long ago. Mary r. Kun Kapaun Ahr station Germany Helmut b. Jahnke chief of marketing division defense Reutell Patlon amp marketing Region Europe defense logistics Agency replies in response to numerous inquiries received from service members we directed our demos in Germany to discuss the feasibility of saturday and off duty hour sales with their respective military communities. Host installation support is needed to augment the limited demo resources. As a result of these discussions several demos such As Hanau Giessen Baum older and Bremerhaven either have been or Are in the process of scheduling off duty hour sales. Demos at other locations will continue to pursue this matter and provide the desired services whenever and wherever  write us headers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apoate 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday March 21, 1992