Call for circumcision safeguards after baby death

[SerendipityJane]

No excuse in the UK. Ever.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj2r8x2k4yo

Absolutely terrible. And the fact that people can legally perform genital mutilation in the U.K. is absolutely shocking. Poor baby fucking hell.

The safeguards absolutely should be medically necessary only, none of this family choice nonsense.

Disgusting practice. It should be banned unless for medical reasons.

So, who does these non-medical need circumcisions? Do parents go privately to qualified and registered surgeons or do they find a person known in the community who may or may not have medical training? Surely going privately could be regulated while people without a medical license/training/registration should not be allowed to perform them and should have severe penalties for performing them without a licence. Is that not in place already?

I don't have a religion so circumcision isn't something I'd ever consider for my child but surely there is a way to make sure it is done safely if it truly is necessary for religious reasons?

So, who does these non-medical need circumcisions?

Anyone with a blessed pair of scissors it seems

This is so worrying. It notice the parents didn’t take him to hospital until 4 days after becoming ill but maybe they sought other medical treatment.

It should be outlawed. It's basically physical abuse.

This is awful.

I don't have a religion so circumcision isn't something I'd ever consider for my child but surely there is a way to make sure it is done safely if it truly is necessary for religious reasons?

It should not be allowed for religious reasons either, in the same way that FGM is not allowed for any reason. Poor little boy.

Religion and medicine aren't really compatible.

Never really understand how this is still legal when you look at it next to FGM, although I understand that FGM is very different.

I wonder what would happen if a religion decided FGM was part of it's core beliefs ? Maybe someone had a vision from god saying it's the new norm or something ?

Ban any form of genital mutilation - F or M. Surgery performed for medical reasons is not mutilation.

There are religious leaders in certain communities who perform circumcision, it should be illegal. It’s tricky to get it done for non medical reasons at private hospitals, a lot of surgeons (quite rightly) want nothing to do with it.

I was pressured to circumcise my baby by my Jewish mother, fortunately my non Jewish husband saw no need , same as I, and we didn't give in. Barbaric practice.

Not quite the same but still mutilation, the legal age you can pierce a baby's ears is 4 months. Seen a very young infant getting the Claire's piercing gun experience
Should also be outlawed.

Could be someone with training and experience, either in a medical setting or in a private capacity. Could be an old woman in your front room. NHS Scotland will sometimes do them for religious reasons if certain criteria are met. England will only do them for medical reasons.

It’s not necessary for religious reasons. It’s obligatory. Not the same thing at all.

A baby died here in Ireland a few years ago after circumcision. Dreadful practice. If people want to do it for religious reasons can't they wait till adulthood? Simply horrific child abuse like FGM.

Will anyone get prosecuted for this poor baby dying?

Supporters of circumcision will claim that it is incredibly low risk. For me any risk is unacceptable.
This was solidified when I cared for a newborn with a severely infected wound site. He had to have his penis amputated to save his life.
At less than 15 days old this poor little baby was maimed for life, will never have a satisfactory sex life, will suffer from lifelong complications and the mental impacts could not be underestimated.
AFAIK, there were no religious reasons for it. The parents just wanted their son to 'look' like Dad.
I often think about him and wonder how he's getting on, and also wonder if his parents have learned to live with their guilt yet.

"if it is truly necessary for religious reasons". There's a contradiction in that sentence, given that many live without any religious actions nothing is "truly necessary" for religious reasons, it's a chosen action.

Babies have contracted herpes from religious leaders performing circumcision in the traditional way and roughly 100 babies die each year in America alone from circumcisions, then there are the babies who end up severely mutilated for life, amputations and such.
It's a terrible unnecessary practice, culture is no excuse.

I dislike any arguments that are based on the fact it’s what a religion/culture has always done. That doesn’t mean things shouldn’t change and stopped.

Nobody should be allowed to carry out any sort of modification on a child unless it’s medically necessary and carried out by a properly licensed person.

What? That poor little boy. And not even for religious reasons.

That's absolutely terrible, the poor little thing.
It should be illegal.

The parents and whoever did it should be prosecuted for his death.