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Available for over a year

Anne McElvoy presents Across the Red Line, the programme where people with opposing views come together to listen, reflect, and explore difficult questions. This episode asks: Should the state be allowed to alter the biology of someone convicted of a serious sexual offence? In the UK, a pilot scheme is offering chemical castration to certain offenders. The treatment uses medication to suppress sexual drive, and some research suggests it can reduce the risk of reoffending. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced plans for a national rollout, raising questions about consent, ethics, and effectiveness. Joining Anne are Dr Alexis Paton, medical ethicist and Chair of the Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians, and Professor Thomas Douglas, senior researcher in practical ethics at the University of Oxford. Rather than trying to win the argument, both guests are invited to listen deeply and risk being changed by what they hear. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson