EU Ambassador to Madagascar expelled for criticising castration law

The European Union Ambassador to Madagascar, Isabelle Delattre Burger, has been expelled from her office following her criticism of a recently passed law permitting surgical castration for child rapists in the country.

The law, approved by the Malagasy parliament in early February, sanctions both chemical and surgical castration for individuals convicted of sexually assaulting minors.

While supporters argue that it will deter child rape in Madagascar, which has seen a rise in such cases, international rights groups have condemned the law.

During a press conference, Delattre, known for challenging the government, publicly denounced the law as 'degrading and inhumane,' stating that it contradicts both the Madagascar Constitution and international norms.

In response to her remarks, Madagascar called on Brussels to replace the envoy. EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Nabila Massrali, confirmed that Madagascar expressed dissatisfaction and requested the EU to replace the head of its delegation.

"Unavoidable"

In compliance with the request, the Delegation of the European Union to Madagascar announced Delattre's departure, saying it was unavoidable.

“We intend to maintain good relations with Madagascar, and that’s why we comply with the request. But the Ambassador's departure under these conditions will inevitably have political and financial consequences,” it said.

The EU delegation also noted that the departure of the envoy is almost complete and she is expected to leave the post in a few months, probably in July or August.

They however noted that the recruitment exercise for her successor will take a longer time.

Delattre, a French national, holds a master’s degree in information sciences from the Paris Institute of Political Studies and a master’s degree in Germanic Studies from the New Sorbonne University. She is married and has three children.

Before taking up her duties as Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Madagascar and the Comoros, Delattre spent most of her career in the European institutions, holding from 2018 to 2022 the position of Head of Unit for cooperation with the countries of Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean (in the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships).

Rape cases in Madagascar have been on the rise, with statistics indicating 600 sex assaults on children in 2023 and 133 in January 2024.

At the end of February, Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court validated the surgical castration portion of the controversial bill but excluded chemical castration because of its ‘temporary and reversible character’ that would not ‘permanently neutralise sexual predators.’

In 2020, Nigeria's third-largest state, Kaduna state passed a law that would allow men convicted of rape to face surgical castration, and anyone raping a child under age 14 face the death penalty.

The then governor, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai said that “drastic penalties are required to help further protect children from a serious crime.”

The law also stated that a person convicted of raping someone over age 14 will face life imprisonment.

Additionally, a woman convicted of rape of a child under 14 faces the removal of her fallopian tubes.