By Tony O’Reilly-
Draft prosecution guidance on harmful practices has classified non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) as a potential form of child abuse.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released draft guidance classifying non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) as a potential form of child abuse, prompting calls for urgent safeguards to protect children. The guidance highlights that circumcision can be “a painful and harmful practice” and “may be a form of child abuse or an offence against the person.”
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The draft comes amid growing scrutiny of unregulated procedures performed without medical oversight. In court cases cited by the CPS, children suffered significant harm and distress.
In January 2025, Mohammad Siddiqui was jailed for child cruelty after performing an un-anaesthetised circumcision on an infant. The court described the act as a “gratuitous infliction of pain” and a “deliberate disregard for the welfare of the child.”
Another high-profile case involved Mohammed Alazawi, who received a nine-year sentence in July 2025 for crimes including wounding with intent. Reports stated that one child was left “screaming in agony” during an unanaesthetised circumcision. Both cases underscore the CPS’s concern over the lack of regulation around NTMC.
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Religious Groups and Medical Experts Respond
Religious organisations, including registered charities, continue to perform circumcisions without anaesthesia, citing tradition. A mother recently described a rabbi performing the procedure on her son on a kitchen counter, saying her child screamed so hard she “thought he was going to die.”
Consultant urologist Gordon Muir supported the CPS stance, telling reporters that NTMC is “a form of child abuse and the correct thing to do would be to wait until the child is 16 or more and is able to make a rational decision about it.”
Meanwhile, Jerusalem Post heard from Jonathan Arkush, co-chair of pro-circumcision group Milah UK, acknowledged that circumcision could constitute abuse “if performed incorrectly.”
The Muslim Council of Britain added that the lack of regulation was creating “unacceptable risks” and said “addressing those risks to protect young boys should be an urgent priority.”
Calls for Government Action and Regulation
The guidance follows a coroner’s report after the death of Mohamed Abdisamad in February 2023 from an invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infection following circumcision. The report highlighted the absence of regulation and urged the Department of Health to take action to prevent future deaths. Since 2001, at least seven deaths in the UK have been linked to circumcision in children.
Dr Alejandro Sanchez, human rights lead at the National Secular Society, in response to the guidance, said: “We appreciate that parents who circumcise their sons do so with the best of intentions. However, this is a medically unnecessary surgery that inscribes the cultural or religious views of parents on the genitals of a non-consenting child.
Decisions about circumcision should therefore be deferred until the individual is old enough to decide for himself, based on his own values.”
Dr Sanchez added that relying solely on the criminal justice system addresses harm after it has happened and emphasized the need for preventive measures, stating that circumcision should only occur in children if medically necessary and under professional care.
The CPS consultation period for the draft guidance is ongoing, with experts and community leaders encouraged to submit feedback to ensure children’s safety and welfare are fully protected.
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