It's hard to find a much more personal decision with newborns than circumcision. For some parents it's an easy thing — do what the family has always done, or for some, do what costs less and/or will cause the least suffering in the future.
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Mom Has Grandparents Arrested After They Circumcise Her Son Without Her Permission
But in any case, it should be a decision that gets discussed and that both parents are on board with.
Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema
For at least one family out there, circumcision has basically torn the family apart.
A mother in England was left distraught and horrified when she discovered that her son's paternal grandparents had had him circumcised without her permission.
Unsplash | Walaa Khaleel
She had no idea that they were going to have that procedure done.
The unidentified mother, from Nottingham, said she only discovered her baby had undergone the procedure when she changed his diaper and found him covered in blood.
Unsplash | Alex Pasarelu
She was in utter shock when she had seen what happened.
"I opened the nappy and I ended up having to leave the room because I felt hysterical."
Unsplash | Luma Pimentel
She told the BBC, "It was just awful, really, it wasn't very nice, there was all blood there and stuff."
At the time, the mother tried getting both social services and the police involved, but investigators soon deemed it to be not a criminal matter.
Unsplash | Matt Popovich
However, the mother ended up getting assistance from the anti-circumcision group Men Do Complain and a human rights lawyer Saimo Chahal QC.
The mother has some strong feelings about circumcision, as well as having the procedure done without her consent.
Reddit | notathrowaway152000
She believes circumcision is "male genital mutilation" and considers it "inhumane."
In the United Kingdom, male circumcision is perfectly lawful with parental consent.
Reddit | AsherGray
The mother thinks that the law should change.
"It's even illegal to dock dogs' tails," the mother said. "I've come home crying my eyes out thinking a dog has more rights than my child. There's something seriously not right with it at all. You can protect a dog, you can protect a girl, but not a boy."
Four years passed after the circumcision took place before the mother got any legal action.
Unsplash | Michal Bar Haim
And that only happened because she connected with an anti-circumcision group and had a human rights lawyer contact the police on her behalf.
She says that over the years, her son has had problems including water infections and inflammation.
Unsplash | Andre Ouellet
"I am deeply hurt by what has happened to my son and the suffering I have been forced to witness."
So, after police reopened their investigation, they arrested the grandparents on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
Unsplash | Daniel Tafjord
They also arrested the doctor who performed the procedure on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.
However, he claimed that he had been informed that the mother had indeed consented to the procedure.
Unsplash | JC Gellidon
The grandparents and the doctor were all later released without charges.
Prosecutors explained that "there would be no realistic prospect of conviction."
Unsplash | Sebastian Pichler
They said that had the doctor gone ahead with the procedure knowing that the mother did not consent, there would likely have been a case for assault, and that he probably should have done more to confirm consent, but under the circumstances it was "not sufficient for there to be a criminal prosecution."
In a statement, the mother promised that she "will fight this until my last breath."
Unsplash | Ignacio Campo
"As a mother I'm still very anxious about his feelings in the future. I strongly feel that the pain I witnessed has had a long-term psychological effect on myself and it's not even my body so I dread to think what my son's mind must feel as it was his body suffering."
It's unclear what her next steps will be, but she remains determined.
Unsplash | Joshua Reddekopp
"I'm sure any mother would feel the same about not giving up, after witnessing their child suffer unnecessarily. I will fight this until my last breath if I have to, it's the only way I can possibly look my son in his eyes.
"I feel I have failed him."
h/t BBC
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