The former doctor pleaded guilty to circumcision

A former doctor has admitted causing “painful cruelty to children” by running a mobile circumcision service.

Mohammad Siddiqui, 58, from Birmingham, was working as a doctor at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust when he started visiting homes to perform circumcisions.

He was suspended and later expelled by the General Medical Council (GMC) but still continued to practice circumcision, which “ignores” basic rules of hygiene.

On Tuesday, Siddiqui pleaded guilty to 25 charges against him, including assault causing bodily harm and cruelty to a person under the age of 16.

He will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on January 14, 2025.

Between June 2012 and November 2013, Siddiqui ran a private mobile circumcision service and procured anesthetics while working in pediatric surgery at the trust.

He traveled around the UK performing non-therapeutic male circumcision – where there is no clinical reason for the procedure – on patients as young as 14.

He was struck off by the GMC in 2015 after a panel of the Medical Service Tribunal found him guilty of failing to follow the procedure at the homes of four babies.

He continued his service because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated and does not require a doctor to perform it.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday to 25 counts, including 12 counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, five counts of ill-treatment of a person under 16 and eight counts of administering prescription drugs on prescription, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

“Siddiqi practiced circumcision in an unsafe and unsanitary environment and in doing so subjected the children to painful abuse, leaving them emotionally and physically scarred,” said Anya Hommeyer of CPS.

“He has shown a complete disregard for the impact of his actions on his victims, families and communities.”

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Bitters, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police, said: “I hope his plea today will give some comfort to his victims who have had to wait many years to see justice for his actions.”