Fake doctor jailed for illegal circumcisions

A fake medic who carried out a number of unsafe and illegal circumcisions across the UK, including the West Midlands, has been jailed for nine years.

Mohammed Alazawi, 54, of Hampton Road, Ilford, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday. He had admitted 20 charges, but was found guilty of 20 further offences.

The charges included multiple counts of fraud, wounding with intent, administering and supplying prescription only medicines, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Alazawi carried out the non-therapeutic male circumcisions between October 2016 and January 2022 on baby boys and older male children.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the defendant was able to carry out these procedures because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated.

There is no requirement for the procedure to be carried out by a medical practitioner, but Alazawi told parents he was a doctor before they consented to the circumcisions.

"The circumcisions carried out in this case were unlawful because of the manner in which the defendant carried them out," A CPS spokesperson said.

"This changed them from an ordinary circumcision, which would be safe and sanitary, to a procedure which was inherently unsafe or dangerous and therefore unlawful."

Anja Hohmeyer, from the CPS, said Alazawi had carried out circumcisions in "unsafe, unsanitary and harmful ways", which demonstrated "a blatant disregard for the safety of his young patients and the impact of his actions on his victims, their families, and communities".

Det Insp Neil Hunt from West Midlands Police's public protection unit led the investigation into Alazawi, which spanned seven years.

He said: "Some of his young victims went on to have complications following the procedures, like infections, and it was after one such incident in Birmingham that we were alerted and began an investigation.

"These complex enquiries went on to find many victims from across the UK.

"It has been the bravery and support of these families, some from as far away as Canada, in supporting our investigation which has seen this perpetrator jailed today."

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