A former surgeon has been jailed for more than five and-a-half years after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm and child cruelty during multiple male circumcision operations.
Dr Mohammad Siddiqui, 58, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court yesterday after having previously pleaded guilty to a total of 25 offences including 11 counts of actual bodily harm, six counts of cruelty to a child and eight counts of administering prescription-only medicines contrary to the law.
At the moment male circumcisions are completely unregulated meaning that non-medical professionals can perform the procedure.
During his sentencing the court heard victim impact statements from the families of a number of children.
One parent said: “Mr Siddiqui came to my home with no PPE, no sterilised equipment and not even the items for basic hygiene, and using a numbness cream, which should have been left on for sixty minutes but only left on for two minutes, Mr Siddiqui carried out a surgical procedure on my son. Even now I can remember my son’s voice crying out in pain. He was only five weeks old. Due to Mr Siddiqui’s actions my son had to spend two weeks in hospital and even had to go through a Lumbar Puncture procedure. We didn’t know if he was going to be ok or not.
“Mr Siddiqui was a former Doctor, a trained professional who understands medicine and understands pain and suffering. He knew what he was doing was wrong and was aware of the risks involved in it. He has shown no remorse nor has he apologised for his actions. Mr Siddiqui should have known better…
“I have come to understand the practice of non-therapeutic circumcision is completely unregulated when conducted by unregistered medical practitioners, meaning a person without any medical training can advertise and perform such procedures. This state of affairs seems utterly absurd and risks endangering children’s health. The fact Siddiqui could carry on with such impunity and affect so many innocent lives is surely all the evidence that is needed to ensure this gap in legislation is addressed.”
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Between June 2012 and November 2013, Dr Siddiqui provided a private mobile circumcision service whilst working as clinical fellow in paediatric surgery at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. In this capacity he was able to source the anaesthetic Bupivacaine Hydrochloride which is a prescription-only medication.
In 2015 Siddiqui was struck off the General Medical Council Register after a panel of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found him guilty of failures in performing non-therapeutic male circumcisions in the homes of four babies.
Despite having been struck off, Dr Siddiqui continued to promote and provide a mobile circumcision service. No longer being considered a Health Care Professional he was able to do so because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated with no requirement to be carried out by a medical practitioner.
Dr Siddiqui continued to use Bupivacaine Hydrochloride and carry out circumcisions in unsafe, unsanitary and harmful ways. He advertised his services across the United Kingdom and by appointment performed non-therapeutic male circumcisions on young patients up to the age of 14 in their homes.
Anja Hohmeyer of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Siddiqui practised these circumcising acts in an unsafe and unsanitary environment and left children with emotional and physical scars as a result of his actions.
“He showed a complete disregard for the impact of his actions on his victims, families, and communities… We hope that this conviction offers draws a line for all of those affected and brings some comfort to them in seeing Siddiqui being brought to justice. The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice who wish to do harm.”
Police Staff Investigator Damon Kennard, from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “This was a highly unusual case for police to become involved in. As ‘Officer in the Case’ for this investigation I was concerned at Dr Siddiqui’s apparent lack of insight and willingness to take action to remediate clinical failings highlighted to him by the General Medical Council that would have ensured the correct procedures were performed.
“He appeared entirely indifferent to the risk and suffering he was subjecting children to and in so doing betrayed the trust parents had placed in him to conduct a safe and sanitary circumcision.”
