A coroner has issued a stark warning and called for immediate action following the death of a six-month-old baby boy from a severe infection contracted after a circumcision.
A preventable tragedy
Mohamed Adbidsamed underwent the procedure on February 12, 2023. According to a recently released ‘Prevention of future deaths’ report, he began showing symptoms of illness three to four days later.
He was rushed to Hillingdon Hospital in west London on February 19, where he suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the hospital at 11.55pm that same day.
A jury inquest, which concluded on October 8, 2025, found the medical cause of death to be an ‘invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection following male circumcision’.
Systemic failures and lack of regulation
The report’s author, assistant coroner Dr Anton van Dellen, highlighted critical gaps in safety and regulation surrounding non-therapeutic male circumcisions (NTMC). These are procedures performed for cultural or religious reasons, rather than medical necessity.
In his report, dated December 28, 2025, Dr van Dellen wrote that evidence from the inquest revealed serious concerns. ‘In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken,’ he stated.
The coroner outlined a series of alarming ‘matters of concern’ in the current system:
- No requirement for prior training or Continuing Professional Development for individuals performing NTMCs.
- No system of external accreditation or registration for practitioners.
- No mandatory record-keeping for those who undergo the procedure.
- No required infection control measures.
- No mandated aftercare, including wound dressing, pain relief, or advice on signs of complications.
Dr van Dellen also pointed to the absence of a formal system for obtaining consent before the procedure is carried out.
Calls for national action
The coroner’s report is being sent to the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. These bodies have 56 days from the report's issue date to respond.
Copies have also been sent to Mohamed’s family and the London Ambulance Service.
This tragic case underscores a wider issue. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 14 deaths in the UK between 2004 and 2024 where circumcision was recorded as a factor. Of these, seven were boys under 18 and seven were men over 18.
The circumciser in Mohamed’s case had been recommended to the parents, highlighting how families often rely on informal networks in the absence of a regulated, safe framework for these culturally significant procedures.
