A bill proposing far tougher sentences on convicted child rapists will be tabled to the House plenum in the coming days, local media reported on Tuesday.

The legislative proposal belongs to Dipa MP Michalis Yiakoumi. It intends to give judges the discretion to hand down life imprisonment on people found guilty of the rape of minors.

The proposal also provides for the option of parole, but only if the convict has consented to, and undergoes, chemical castration.

Usually in Cyprus, lifers may apply for parole once they have served at least 12 years behind bars.

“The legislative proposal is based on the need to adopt stricter and more deterrent measures to protect our children and ensure that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes get the punishment they deserve,” the MP told daily Politis.

“Strengthening the current legal framework would send a strong message that our society does not tolerate any form of sexual abuse.”

The Czech Republic affords convicted serial sex offenders the option to undergo orchiectomy – the surgical removal of one or both testicles – in place of long jail terms.

In Poland, judges may impose the sentence of chemical castration on convicted child rapists. This involves administering drugs that diminish a person’s sex drive, to prevent relapse.

The Polish law came into effect in 2010. It applies to men who rape children or immediate family members. Under the law, prisoners would be forced on their release to take drugs to reduce their sex drive, but courts are required to consider the opinions of psychiatrists before ordering it.

In the United States, a number of states enforce orchiectomy and chemical castration on sex offenders.