Germany fines man for initiation circumcision

Dusseldorf - A 77-year-old Turkish national who performed ritual circumcisions on seven boys was convicted Tuesday in Germany of causing dangerous bodily harm and fined €2 100 (about R20 000).

Prosecutors told the state court in Dusseldorf that circumcision was only allowed in Germany for medical reasons and could only be performed by surgeons. Traditional Turkish Muslims practise circumcision on boys aged 6 to 11 as a manhood initiation ritual.

The accused did not attend the trial, a re-hearing in an appeal court, two years after he had been fined the same amount.

At the original trial, the accused agreed he had performed the circumcisions at the request of parents in several cities. Police who seized the surgical instruments at his home described them as dirty and university scientists said he did not follow hygiene rules. - Sapa-dpa