Dutch medical alliance moves to change thinking on male circumcision

I welcome the policy response from the alliance of doctors in the
Netherlands concerning the circumcision of male children.

Over the last 14 years I have brought this matter to the attention of
all the appropriate authorities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
following my son's attempting suicide due to the lack of understanding of
the trauma which may follow this surgery and my own ignorance.

When I learnt of the harm caused by male circumcision I was
distraught that I had not known enough to protect my child and established
a charity in Nothern Ireland to prevent what had happened to him
happeniing to any other children.

It is very hard for parents to realise that they have harmed their
child but I have had to come to terms with the fact that I did not know
enough to protect him.

Hopefully now the GMC, BMA and the Uk Law Commission will protect
male children as they do female as otherwise they are guilty of gender
discrimination. My family may then be able to start to come to terms with
what has happened and live in a society where our pain is at least
recognised and were this practice is no longer acceptable.

Competing interests:
director of the National organisation Circumcision Information Resource Centre of Northern Ireland