As India moves to curb sexual-assault crimes after an array of rape cases, South Korea is stepping up its efforts to reduce such attacks by expanding the scope of chemical castrations of repeat sex offenders. The punishment, in place since May last year, has so far been limited to those who commit sex crimes against victims aged under 15. Effective Tuesday, a revised law allows courts to order chemical castration, regardless of the victim’s age, if the offender is determined by a group of specialists to be a sexual deviant or highly likely to recommit. The law will also be retroactively applied.

The law won’t initially apply nationwide since the Daejeon District Court last month asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether it violates basic human rights. Moreover there hasn’t been sufficient research into the effectiveness of the treatment, the district court said.

The treatment, already in effect in places such as Germany, Sweden and some U.S. states, prescribes hormone suppressants to a serial sex offenders to reduce the production of male testosterone. The medication costs around $4,500 a year for one person, according to reports.