Pedophilia, or sexual attraction to boys and girls, could be the result of a lack of nerve connections in the brain , according to a study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Psychiatry Research . Its author, the Canadian researcher at the University of Toronto James Cantor, has reached this conclusion after comparing the brains of more than fifty pedophiles with that of other convicts accused of non-sexual crimes.
The scans showed that the former had a significant deficit of the nerve fibers – white matter – that connect six areas of the brain related to sexual arousal . According to Cantor, the finding is the strongest evidence that this sexual inclination is the result of a problem in brain development. However, it ensures that this does not exempt them from criminal responsibility. "Not being able to choose your sexual preferences does not imply that you cannot decide what to do," he clarifies.
