A former doctor has been accused of running a mobile circumcision service that caused children “unnecessary pain and suffering” by using a rusty medical instrument and insufficient pain relief during the procedures. The court heard that Mohammad Siddiqui, 58, had been a practising doctor before he started visiting homes by appointment to carry out circumcisions. He was suspended and later struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC), yet continued performing circumcisions regardless.
Prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones KC stated in Southwark Crown Court that Siddiqui operated in a manner aimed at maximising profits, carrying out procedures hastily and cutting corners, resulting in unnecessary pain, suffering, cruelty, and risk for the children. When Siddiqui was arrested, police discovered several medical instruments in his car, with one showing signs of rust and skin, and improper sterilisation was found in subsequent testing on many of his tools.
Siddiqui, who focused on Muslim communities, used anaesthetic cream on some patients but often initiated procedures shortly after its application. During a police interview in 2019, Siddiqui disclosed that he had performed around 1,200 to 1,500 circumcisions since 2012, justifying his inadequate practices by claiming it was challenging to ascertain the effectiveness of the anaesthetic cream due to babies crying for various reasons.
The former doctor, representing himself in court, requested to address the jury following Mr. Douglas-Jones’s opening statements, but Judge Noel Lucas KC denied his request at the time. Siddiqui faces 39 charges, including 17 counts of actual bodily harm, 14 of child cruelty, and eight of administering a prescription-only medicine between 2014 and 2019, involving 23 incidents with several complainants.
Throughout the trial, Siddiqui was observed carrying a laptop and documents in a cardboard box, escorted by a prison guard. He denies all charges brought against him, and the trial is ongoing.