An MP has put forward measures to regulate the practice of ritual male circumcision, following recent deaths of children.
An amendment to the Government’s Health Bill would make non-therapeutic male circumcision a “regulated activity” that can only be performed by a suitably qualified healthcare professional.
The National Secular Society, which campaigns to protect children from harms caused by religious practices, has said the measures are “an urgent necessity” to protect children from serious harm and even death.
At least five babies have died in the UK since 2007 following medically unnecessary circumcisions, while many more have suffered “life-threatening” post-circumcision complications.
The amendment was tabled by Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire Sam Carling.
Carling said: “The need to strengthen the regulation of non-therapeutic male circumcision could not be clearer.
“The tragic death of Mohamed Abdisamad in 2023, and other tragic deaths and serious injuries in recent years, has shown that the legal framework in this space is simply not good enough. My amendment would enact the recommendations of the coroner in Mohamed’s case, who was clear that the status quo, in which anyone can perform a circumcision with no requirements on infection control measures or aftercare, would lead to future deaths.”
Call for change in law following child deaths
Two coroners, one in 2015 and one in 2025, have issued prevention of future death reports after boys died following circumcision performed by unregulated circumcisers. Both called for action to protect boys, but the Government has refused to change the law.
Last month, the Court of Appeal said it would “clearly be preferable for Parliament to regulate non-medical circumcisions”.
The call came during an appeal by Mohammad Alazawi, who was jailed last year for circumcision related crimes against boys including grievous bodily harm. The court noted Alazawi was “not medically qualified”, had a criminal record including assault, and “could not read or write English”, but was still legally able to circumcise boys.
At present, anyone can legally circumcise a boy in the UK: there is no requirement to have medical training or even “proven expertise”, anaesthesia does not have to be used, and doctors struck off the medical register for dangerous circumcisions can continue to legally circumcise boys as laypeople.
Carling’s amendment would additionally require circumcision to come under the inspection regime of the Care Quality Commission, and for integrated care boards to produce annual data on prevalence and complications of non-therapeutic male circumcision.
The Health Bill is now at its report stage.
NSS: “Law must be reformed to protect boys”
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “Sam Carling deserves credit for confronting a dangerous gap in the law that successive governments have failed to address.
It is unacceptable that babies and children in the UK are being subjected to painful and dangerous non-therapeutic circumcisions by people with no medical qualifications. Boys have suffered catastrophic injuries and, in the most tragic cases, died.
“Reforming the law to protect boys from death and serious harm is an urgent necessity. At a bare minimum, circumcision must be performed by a regulated healthcare professional and anaesthesia must be used.”