Image: Yle

Henriksson stressed that the planned legislation will include provisions only for voluntary chemical castration.

"We know that this kind of law is being discussed, for example in Estonia. In Russia, mandatory castration is being debated, but I would not now go that far. But we should consider this voluntary measure and how it could be included in our system of legal sanctions in a good way that would also bring about the desired results," the Justice Minister said in the YLE interview.

"In other words, we want advance prevention of a criminal repeating his offense, and to prevent more people being victimised."

According to Henriksson experiences in other countries where chemical castration is permitted are good.

The previous government drafted a bill on the matter, but Parliament did not manage to handle it before the elections.

Under the terms of that draft bill, a prisoner could be released on a supervised trial basis, if he commits to taking medication to suppress sexual urges and to continue its use if released on parole. The medical treatments would be augmented by psycho-social therapy.

The law would also be aimed at getting the subject to voluntarily continue treatments once parole ends.

According to Henriksson her ministry will be reviewing the former government's proposal to determine if any changes are needed before reintroducing it to Parliament.