Circumcision could be child abuse if done wrong, draft UK guidelines say — report |
Draft guidelines for prosecutors in England and Wales say circumcision “may be a form of child abuse” if performed incorrectly, the Guardian reported Saturday.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s draft document on “honor-based abuse, forced marriages and harmful practices,” which was seen by the Guardian, has alarmed religious groups in the UK, with one Jewish activist calling the wording on circumcision “misleading,” the newspaper said.
Judaism mandates circumcision for boys, and most Islamic scholars say it is also mandatory for Muslim males.
The document reportedly says that, as opposed to female genital mutilation, “there is not a specific criminal offense of carrying out male circumcision.”
“However, this can be a painful and harmful practice, if carried out incorrectly or in inappropriate circumstances,” says the document. “It may be a form of child abuse or an offense against the person.”
The deaths of seven underage boys have been linked to circumcisions since 2021, including three babies who bled to death, the Guardian said, citing the UK’s Office for National Statistics.
And last month, the Guardian said, a UK coroner raised concerns about the lack of infection control and accreditation for circumcisers, in a report on the death of 6-month-old Mohamed Abdisamad from a streptococcus infection a week after he was........