A German Court Has Ruled That Circumcising An Infant Is A Physical Assault

[FarCenter]

A district court in Cologne, Germany has ruled that circumcising an infant for reasons other than medical necessity should be considered a physical assault, the Financial Times Deutschland reports.

The ruling was prompted by the case of an Islamic couple who had their child hospitalized after he bled for two days after a religious circumcision.

The court's decision is expected by some to serve as a precedent for future cases in Germany. Others believe the topic of religiously motivated circumcision will inevitably end up in the German Supreme Court.

AFP reports that Jewish groups within the country are outraged, with the head of the Central Committee of Jews, Dieter Graumann calling the decision "outrageous and insensitive".

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-circumcision-illegal-cologne-2012-6

[msongs]

1. chop off baby body parts, there's a really compassionate thing to do nt

[HopeHoops]

2. Agreed. Although we had three daughters, my wife and I agreed beforehand that no-clipping....

... for a male would be our decision. You know the rabbi who didn't charge for clipping? He only took tips.

Female genital mutilation is tragic, but I wish I still had a foreskin. The MOST COMMON reason parents site for the procedure is "so he will look like his daddy". Screw that. It's still mutilation. I don't give a shit if I look like my dad in that respect. It's still mutilation.

[MrSlayer]

3. Ridiculous.

This should be an interesting thread.

[COLGATE4]

4. As another poster so well put it

seeing as the Germans have such a great history of telling Jews what to do and what not to do, maybe they should just leave this alone...

[Chorophyll]

9. +1

[11 Bravo]

5. Cool, we haven't had a circumcision thread for at least ... hours.

[cynatnite]

12. I'm out of fucking popcorn, too. n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

14. have some of mine..

[treestar]

6. I'd rather see this decision first

Does it really conclude that? This particular circumcision appears to have been carried out negligently and injured the child. That may have had something to do with it.

[FarCenter]

7. Here's a longer news article

German court rules religious circumcision on boys an assault

BERLIN — Circumcising young boys on religious grounds amounts to grievous bodily harm, a German court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision that the Jewish community said trampled on parents' religious rights.

The regional court in Cologne, western Germany, ruled that the "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents", a judgement that is expected to set a legal precedent.

"The religious freedom of the parents and their right to educate their child would not be unacceptably compromised, if they were obliged to wait until the child could himself decide to be circumcised," the court added.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5idCDYo0Sg4r7FMY9ueBfajLynaiQ?docId=CNG.57c3c5b01b5794db35e63f156f63c566.271

[treestar]

11. Weird decision

Hopefully it can be appealed. Or it may be simple just to get a medical certificate. There are probably arguments that it is medically desirable.

What next, suppose a 7 year old needs his tonsils to come out? Or a 14 year old wants a body piercing? Who can decide, parents or kid?

[Fumesucker]

8. Yeeehaaaww!!!

This should end well!!

[Chorophyll]

10. Well, I've got nothing better to do for the next 36 hours.

[kiva]

13. This should really help the relationship

between the German government and the Jews.