Germany is under pressure from the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee to do away with surgical castration of sex offenders.

The use of castration to prevent convicted sex criminals reoffending is "quite rare", with fewer than five cases annually in Germany, but it is an "irreversible intervention ... (that) could easily be considered as amounting to degrading treatment", the committee said in a report released in Strasbourg, France, today.

In reply, Germany said it is debating whether to review the issue, but cites a study indicating it is effective and noted that it is voluntary and only performed after all implications have been explained.

The committee has also criticised the Czech Republic, which uses the procedure more frequently.