Castration of child rapists will be the best deterrent to prevent child abuse, the Madras High Court said in its order on Sunday in the light of horrific cases of rape of minors shocking the nation. 

"Suggestion of castration looks barbaric, but barbaric crimes should definitely attract barbaric model of punishment," Justice N Kirubakaran said in his judgement while pointing out that current laws have proved ineffective in curbing such crimes.

"This court is sure that additional punishment of castration of child rapists would fetch magical results in preventing and containing child abuses," he said. 

Castration, either surgical or chemical, results in the male losing the use of his testicles. 

The Madras High Court judge illustrated laws of castrating child sex offenders in other nations such as Poland, Russia, South Korea and nine stated in the United States. It has now asked the Centre to consider its suggestion.

"When law is ineffective and incapable of addressing the menace, this court cannot keep its hands folded and remain a silent spectator, unmoved and oblivious to the recent happenings of horrible blood-curdling gang rapes of children in various parts of India. It would not only be injustice done to the child abuse victims, but would also amount to violation of the oath taken by this court," the Madras HC judge said.  

Despite the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the number of cases of sexual abuse of children in India has increased from 38,172 in 2012 to 58,224 in 2013 and 89,423 in 2014, the court pointed out. 

The Madras High Court's strong words came in the context of a petition by a British national accused of taking a 15-year-old boy from Tamil Nadu with him on the pretext of providing him education and then sexually abusing him in Delhi in 2011. 

Earlier this month, two girls -- one two-year-old and one five-year-old -- were gang-raped in Delhi. 

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