Zedendelinquentie en chirurgische castratie

From the 1920s, surgical castration increasingly became an accepted ‘therapy’ for the treatment of sexual delinquents in the Netherlands. Though often seen as a measure of last resort (‘ultimum remedium’), the number of castration cases would reach into the hundreds during the following decennia. Since castration was applied to sexual delinquents, it meant that this procedure was not just dependent on medical, but also broader societal concerns and ideas about sexually acceptable behaviour. For example, homosexuals frequently underwent such surgery, often within the context of the Dutch Entrustment Act (‘Terbeschikkingstelling’ or ‘TBR’, now called ‘TBS’). By the late 1960s, due to changing cultural and medical views, surgical castration was abandoned.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.