Hundreds of sex offenders may be offered “chemical castration” to stop their sexual urges in a move to prevent reoffending when they are released.
The Ministry of Justice said that ministers had received advice on making the treatment “available to more prisoners on a voluntary basis”. The chemical inhibits libido by suppressing testosterone levels.
There are growing concerns that rehabilitation courses run by psychologists for offenders such as John Worboys are proving ineffective, with several such offenders due for parole.
The justice minister Philip Lee, a GP, is understood to have asked whether the treatment should be given to more prisoners. His ministry said that no decision on this had been taken.
There are more than 1,000 serious sex offenders who, like Worboys, are on