Will circumcision be outlawed in Britain? The Crown Prosecution Service is preparing a new draft guidance that will soon be circulated to local prosecutors, according to which circumcision would constitute "a potential form of child abuse" and could lead to penalties set out in law.
According to a report in the Guardian, the new draft will place circumcision alongside other issues, including forced marriage and exorcisms, as a type of child abuse. The new draft states that unlike female genital mutilation, there is no specific criminal offence for performing circumcision on males.
The guidelines continue to state that it can be a painful and harmful practice if performed incorrectly or in inappropriate circumstances. It may be a form of child abuse or an offence against the person. The reason for preparing the new draft that could lead to penalties for performing circumcision is warnings from death investigators and courts, after a number of deaths and serious injuries related to circumcisions performed outside regulated medical settings. Since 2001, at least seven deaths of boys under 18 have been recorded in cases where circumcision was a significant factor in the fatal injury. At least three of those involved infants who bled to death.
The intention to define circumcision as "child abuse" drew sharp criticism from Jewish and Muslim organisations. Jonathan Arkush, former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and co-chair of Milah UK, an organisation that promotes and defends the community's right to perform circumcision, opposed the planned wording in the Crown Prosecution Service draft.
In his statement, he claimed that saying that circumcision is in itself a harmful practice is wrong and misplaced. Arkush pointed out that any procedure carried out improperly or without appropriate oversight, including piercing a child's ears, can be a harmful practice and a possible case of child abuse, and insisted that the draft be changed as it is wrong and potentially misleading.
Jonathan Arkush, co-chair of Milah UK, which works to promote public understanding of Jewish male circumcision in the UK said: "We are in contact with relevant government authorities about the practice of circumcision. We are confident that the importance of this issue to our community is respected and understood by the UK government, and we will ensure any public guidance that were to be considered respects Jewish practice. Throughout, our focus is on the importance of circumcision being practiced safely for everyone, and on highlighting the robust training, regulation and safeguarding processes followed within our community, so that this essential tenet of our faith can be carried out with care and confidence."