Circumcision could be child abuse if done wrong, UK draft 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 circumcised.

Jonathan Arkush, a defense attorney who is co-chair of the Milah UK Jewish circumcision advocacy group, told the Guardian that it was “misplaced” to single out circumcision for scrutiny.

“Any procedure that is carried out inappropriately or without proper controls, including piercing a child’s ears, could be a harmful practice and a possible case of child abuse,” said Arkush, who is a former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

“To suggest that circumcision is in itself a harmful practice, is deeply pejorative and misplaced,” said Arkush. He added that the Jewish community had “stringent standards” in place that made the medical complications of circumcision “vanishingly rare.”

“We shall certainly be talking” to the Crown Prosecution Service about the circumcision wording in its draft guidelines, said Arkush. “I would very much expect that final draft not to include it, as it is so obviously incorrect and/or misleading.”

“Circumcision is a core part of our identity,” he said. “I have never met any Jewish man who thinks they’ve been harmed by circumcision.”

The Muslim Council of Britain told the Guardian that it supports stronger regulations on male circumcision, but that the practice “should not be characterized in itself as child abuse.”

“Male circumcision is a lawful practice in the UK with recognized medical, religious and cultural foundations,” said the Council. “However, where procedures are carried out irresponsibly, without proper safeguards, and cause harm, they may rightly fall within the scope of criminal law. The lack of consistent regulation elsewhere creates unacceptable risks, and addressing those risks to protect young boys should be an urgent priority.”

Unlicensed circumcisions are under increased scrutiny in Europe. In 2024, authorities in Ireland arrested a rabbi from London for allegedly performing circumcision without required medical credentials in what may be the first case in modern Europe of a rabbi arrested in connection with a brit milah.

And in May, Antwerp’s Jewish community was put on edge when Belgian police conducted a series of raids in the city seeking knives and other equipment used in circumcisions and looking for people illegally conducting ritual Jewish circumcisions.

Lawmakers in some European countries, including Denmark and Sweden, have mulled legislation to ban circumcisions altogether, provoking anger among both Jews and Muslims.

Circumcision is relatively uncommon among the general population of Europe, with only 10-20% of males having gone under the knife, compared to over 70% in the United States.

Zev Stub contributed to this report.