Indonesia to begin chemical castrations for paedophiles

Child sex abuse has hit the headlines with a string of high-profile cases

Indonesia is to authorise chemically castrating convicted paedophiles, the attorney general says.

Muhammad Prasetyo said it would force people to "think 1,000 times" before offending.

The procedure entails injecting convicts with female hormones in the hope that "his sexual desire will vanish", he said.

It is used on sex offenders in Poland, South Korea, Russia, and some US states, among others.

Prisoners in UK jails can volunteer for the treatment.

'Extraordinary levels'

Mr Prasetyo said the cabinet agreed to the measure late on Tuesday.

He said President Joko Widodo would soon sign a presidential decree approving the measure - meaning it can become law without a parliamentary vote.

"We are very concerned about child molestation abuse cases. This phenomenon has reached extraordinary levels," Mr Prasetyo told reporters.

Secretary of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa told the BBC Indonesian service the measure would make "potential offenders think twice".

Last year, school cleaners were jailed for the rape of a six-year-old at an exclusive private school in Jakarta.

Earlier this month, the body of a nine-year-old girl was found in a cardboard box in Jakarta. She had been repeatedly sexually assaulted before being killed.

A 39-year-old man has been arrested over the case.