Treatment of dangerous sexual offenders in Denmark

Abstract

The Treatment Institution at Herstedvester in Denmark is a penal institution under the Department of Prisons and Probation. For decades the institution has treated violent sex offenders and has obtained considerable experience and special knowledge within this field. Until 1970 surgical castration was the treatment of choice in several cases. Thereafter and until 1989 the treatment of sexual offenders has been based on more or less intensive psychotherapy. However, we found that a subgroup of sex offenders stayed dangerous in spite of having received psychotherapy. Since 1989 we have therefore treated this group with antihormonal medicine. Medical castration constitutes no cure per se. Furthermore medical castration is a serious encroachment on the individual. It is therefore necessary to combine medical castration with psychotherapy.