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16 Wm. & Mary Bill Rts. J. 1305 (2007-2008)
Lest We Regress to the Dark Ages: Holding Voluntary Surgical Castration Cruel and Unusual, Even for Child Molesters

handle is hein.journals/wmbrts16 and id is 1313 raw text is: LEST WE REGRESS TO THE DARK AGES: HOLDING VOLUNTARY SURGICAL CASTRATION CRUEL AND UNUSUAL, EVEN FOR CHILD MOLESTERS Catherine Rylyk Innocence is trampled as debauchery and brutality reign unfettered in the world of child molesters. Reports of the sexual assault and molestation of innocent children- arguably the most vulnerable members of our community-weigh on the hearts and minds of all Americans. The magnitude of this problem is readily conveyed through statistics. One of every four girls is sexually assaulted before the age of eighteen, and one in six boys meets the same unfortunate fate.' Though most child sex offenders will harm between one and nine victims, approximately twenty percent will target ten to forty children.2 Each year an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 children are sexually molested in the United States. Terrifyingly, these staggering rates continue to rise.4 Though the increase can be attributed at least in part to an increase in actual identifi- cation and reporting of child sexual abuse, concern for the magnitude of this problem properly remains.' The release of convicted child molesters following the conclusion of their prison terms helps fuel these unsettling assault statistics. In a single year, 4300 convicted child sex offenders were freed from prison. One study suggests that recidivism in child molesters ranges from twenty-two to forty percent, whereas other researchers estimate that long-term relapse rates approach fifty percent.7 These horrific crimes are all too frequent and recidivism rates far too high. * J.D., William & Mary School of Law, 2008. Catherine thanks all of BORJ's staff who helped polish this Note for publication. She also thanks her parents, Andy and Camilla, for their unwavering love and support. l Darkness to Light, Statistics Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse, http://www.darkness 2light.org/KnowAbout/statistics-2.asp (last visited Jan. 14, 2008). 2 id. 3 William Winslade et al., Castrating Pedophiles Convicted of Sex Offenses Against Children: New Treatment or Old Punishment?, 51 SMU L. REV. 349, 359 (1998). ' See id. Id. Even though reporting rates appear on the rise, child molestation remains one of the most underreported crimes. Yello Dyno, Child Molester Statistics, http://www.yellodyno.com html/child_molesterstats.html (last visited Jan. 14, 2008). One study shows that less than eleven percent of child molestation cases are ever disclosed. Id. 6 Life Tips, Sex Offender and Child Molester Statistics, http://childprotection.lifetips .com/cat/63573/sex-offender-statistics/index.html (last visited Jan. 23, 2008). ' The Center for American Cultural Renewal, Abuser Goes Free Without Restrictions, http://www.cfacr.org/pages/article.php?aid=679 (last visited Jan. 28, 2007). 1305

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