A sacked doctor has pleaded guilty to harming children during “dangerous and cruel” circumcisions

The former doctor offers a mobile circumcision the service recognized child cruelty after patients were left with “emotional and physical scars” from their procedures.

Mohammad Siddiqui, 56, traveled the country performing non-therapeutic (not clinically necessary) male circumcision on young patients under the age of 14 from June 2012 to November 2013.

He was suspended from Southampton Hospital and later struck off the UK’s General Medical Council register in 2015 after a medical professionals’ service commission found him guilty of failing to carry out procedures at the homes of four babies.

Through his work as a research fellow in pediatric surgery at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, he was able to obtain the anesthetic bupivacaine hydrochloride.

Despite being expelled, Siddiqui continued to operate his mobile circumcision service and use anesthesia. He was able to do this because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated and does not require a doctor to perform it.

At Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, he admitted a total of 25 offences, including 12 counts of wounding, five counts of abusing a person under 16 and eight counts of unlawfully using a prescription-only medicine.

Siddiqui’s court is scheduled to issue a verdict on January 14, 2025.

Anja Homayer, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Siddiqi practiced these acts of circumcision in an unsafe and unsanitary environment and in doing so inflicted painful cruelty on the children, leaving them emotionally and physically scarred.

“He has shown complete disregard for the impact of his actions on his victims, families and communities. We hope that this conviction will provide some comfort in bringing Siddiqui to justice.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Fiona Bitters, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police, said: “This was a complex investigation driven by the desire to do justice and protect children. Siddiqui’s pleas at this stage of the trial demonstrate the strength of the case we brought to court, as evidence has already been presented against multiple victims.

“Our investigation was into Siddiqui’s criminal conduct during the circumcision procedures and was not into the practice of circumcision itself.

“I hope his plea today will provide some comfort to the victims who have had to wait years to see justice for his actions.”