The prosecution is seeking a 15 year prison sentence for Serop Der-Boghossian, the American-Armenian businessman now being tried for paedophilia.

Below, we present the views of a number of known public figures regarding the case.

In your estimation does the sentence being sought by the prosecution satisfy you? Do you support the concept of castration in this case?

Feliks Bakhchinyan (Author of 2 books on Der-Boghossian; President of the Police Department’s Public Council)

I have nothing to reveal regarding Serop Der-Boghossian. (He hangs up the phone)

Viktor Dallakyan (National Assembly MP; Authored draft bill on castration)

I have introduced a bill regarding modifications to the RA Criminal Code. The bill envisages two things. The first is voluntary castration by chemical means as performed in a number of countries - Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. A medical committee is formed comprised of a psychologist, sex therapist and others. Six months before being released from detention, these sex offenders are reviewed by the committee and it publishes its assessment whether or not to castrate. The offender can refuse. The second point is that in cases of repeat offences, castration is mandatory. Such is the practice in 8 American states.

So you are essentially stating that Der-Boghossian and others like him you be subjected to such a law.

Exactly. As I have declared in the National Assembly, draconian measures must be enacted to combat paedophilia.

Larisa Alaverdyan (Heritage Party MP)

I believe that chemical castration is used in some countries as a last resort, when other measures have failed.

In Armenia, to date, the principle of punishment hasn’t operated in a normal fashion. I mean, if we see that a 15 year imprisonment sentence doesn’t serve to prevent such offences, only then should chemical castration be employed. I would think that 15 years is a satisfactory sentence.

Lusineh Vayachyan (Writer)

I am opposed to chemical castration since the risk posed by such people remains.

It may strip the person of the physical possibility but nothing changes mentally. I support imprisonment.

It’s a question of isolating such individuals from the society at large for as long as possible. I would sentence such people to life in prison, especially if they refuse to confess their guilt.

Vrezh Shahramanyan (Sex Therapist)

Chemical castration doesn’t completely remove such tendencies in humans towards children.

It is correct that initially, given that the reproductive powers of the testicles are severly curtailed, sexual drives are near totally reduced. But later on, there is a possibility for regrowth.

It is a process that is used in many countries but research hasn’t continued regarding its total effectiveness. There are other organs and systems besides the testicles that participate in the chemical processes leading to sexual drives.

As a physician, a sex therapist, I support the medical road, that of enlightenment, rather than chemical castration or any similar intervention that hasn’t been proven to be totally effective.

(The first photo above showing Feliks Bakhchinyan and Serop Der-Boghossian was taken from the former’s book, “Power of Goodwill – Serop Der-Boghossian)