January 10, 2026
Consent clash incoming
Circumcision classed as possible child abuse in draft CPS document
Internet erupts: consent vs tradition as CPS eyes circumcision
TLDR: UK prosecutors are weighing guidance that could treat improperly performed circumcision as child abuse. Comments exploded: many say infants can’t consent and call it harmful, while religious voices defend tradition and push for safer regulation—setting up a high-stakes consent-versus-faith showdown that could reshape family and medical practices
A leaked draft from the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) suggests circumcision could be treated as possible child abuse when done improperly—and the comments lit up like a bonfire. The loudest chorus? “This is barbaric on babies who can’t consent,” thundered users, with calls to ban infant procedures and let adults decide later. One commenter dropped a heavy stat bomb: deaths and serious harms have happened, with coroners warning about lax oversight—cue the collective gasp.
Religious leaders fired back, calling the wording “misleading” and insisting the practice is core to identity and typically safe within their communities. The Muslim Council supported tougher safeguards but said labeling circumcision itself as abuse goes too far. That clash became the thread’s main storyline: consent vs culture, harm vs heritage, prosecution vs regulation.
Humor didn’t stay away: memes about “babies clicking ‘I agree’” and “crib-side consent forms” punctuated the outrage, while others went dark, pointing to trauma and even suicides. Commenters debated whether this is the UK finally catching up with modern child protections or a government overreach into family and faith. Verdict in the comments? It’s a knife-edge issue, and the internet is swinging it like a sword
Key Points
- •CPS draft guidance in England and Wales lists male circumcision as a potential form of child abuse or offence when conducted improperly or in inappropriate circumstances.
- •The draft notes there is no specific criminal offence for performing male circumcision, unlike female genital mutilation.
- •Coroner warnings and cases of child deaths linked to circumcision prompted safety concerns; ONS reports seven deaths since 2001 where circumcision was a factor.
- •Jewish leader Jonathan Arkush criticized the guidance’s wording, asserting community safeguards and rare complications, and said he would engage with the CPS.
- •The Muslim Council of Britain supports stronger safeguards and accreditation, and Prof Faye Ruddock calls for better public information and culturally competent regulation.