Summary of Surgical Castration Studies Regarding Sexual Recidivism
| Study | Castrated Sex Offenders | Noncastrated Sex Offenders | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Subjects | Sex Crime History Prior to Current Offense | Follow‐up Period | Sexual Recidivism After Orchiectomy | Sexual Recidivism of Noncastrates in Same Follow‐up Period | |
| Legislative Report (California, 1952)25 | 60 | 27.5%* | 2 months to 13 years | 0% | No comparison group |
| Bremer (Norway, 1959)31† | 102 | 58%‡ | 1 to 10 years | 2.9%§ | No comparison group |
| Langelüddeke (Germany, 1963)32† | 1036 | 84%‖ | 6 weeks to 20 years | 2.3% | N = 685 (39.1%) |
| Cornu (Switzerland, 1973)33† | 121 | 76.86%‖ | 5 to 35 years | 7.44% | N = 50 (52%) |
| Sand et al./Stürup (Denmark, 1964,29 197228) | 900 | 42%‖ | 6 to more than 10 years | 1.1% | No comparison group |
| Wille & Beier (Germany, 1989)35 | 99 | Unclear¶ | 11 years, average | 3% | N = 35 (46%) |
| Hansen (Denmark, 1991)30# | 21 | No information | More than 15 years | 10%** | N = 22 (36%) |
* Data for 40 of the 60 subjects (Table 1); one or more arrests and/or convictions.
† Data from this study reported in Heim and Hursch.23
‡ One or more incidents of sexual relapse before castration (unclear whether arrests and/or convictions).
§ For those 41 subjects observed for 5 to 10 years, 7% recidivism rate.
‖ Two or more convictions.
¶ Data unclear as to whether sexual charges reflect instant offense only, prior sex offenses, or a combination.
# Data from this study reported in Hansen and Lykke‐Olesen.27
** After two subjects took exogenous testosterone.