Non-medical male circumcision is a procedure carried out on religious or cultural grounds. It involves the removal of foreskin from the boy’s penis. Non-medical male circumcision is not separately prohibited in legislation. However, if performed in a wrong way, it may constitute an offence.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issued guidelines on non-medical male circumcision in 2015. According to the guidelines:

  • non-medical male circumcision is not part of publicly funded health care.
  • the procedure may be performed only by an authorised physician.
  • before the procedure, the persons who have custody of the child must be provided with sufficient information on its nature, effects, possible harms and irreversibility
  • written consent from the persons who have custody of the child is required
  • circumcision must not be performed if any of the persons who have custody of the child objects to it
  • circumcision must not be performed if the boy opposes it when he is able to understand its meaning based on his age and level of development
  • circumcision must be performed under appropriate and sterile conditions under local anaesthesia administered by a physician.

From the human rights perspective, non-medical circumcision intervenes in the child’s personal integrity and right to self-determination without any benefit to the child, unlike usually in medical procedures.

On the other hand, the child also has the right to freedom of religion. The parents also have the right and duty to raise and guide their child. However, the child’s best interest is crucial, and the child’s health or balanced development cannot be put at risk.

Submitting a child welfare notification on non-medical male circumcision

It is recommended that health care professionals address the issue with pregnant women and parents of underage boys when the person with an immigrant background or asylum seeker comes from a region where male circumcision is performed on cultural grounds.

The duty or right to submit a child welfare notification does not arise directly on the basis of a planned non-medical circumcision of a boy or circumcision that has already been performed. The assessment depends on whether the above-mentioned guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have been complied with and, in particular, whether the procedure has caused any complications to the child.
Child welfare notification 
Duty to notify violence against a child   

A person with a duty to submit a child welfare notification may have an obligation to notify the police at the same time. The act may constitute an assault. It is a good idea to consult the police in uncertain situations.

Already performed or planned non-medical circumcision

When child welfare has received a notification of a boy’s non-medical circumcision that has already been performed or when the matter has come to the attention of child welfare in some other way, it may be appropriate to carry out an assessment of the need for services, which includes an assessment of the need for child welfare. 

The essential information is whether the above-mentioned Ministry of Social Affairs and Health guidelines on pain relief and appropriate surgical conditions were followed in the procedure and whether the child has developed any complications.

Similarly, in the case of a planned operation, it must be assessed, where possible, whether the upcoming procedure would meet the criteria in question. In addition, it is also important to assess the overall situation of the child and the family. The need for taking into care and an emergency placement is also assessed, taking into account the family’s overall situation and the way the operation will be carried out.

The social worker assesses the required child welfare measures and whether it is necessary to make a notification to the police. Notwithstanding the provisions on secrecy, the child welfare authority must notify the police if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the child has in their growth environment been a victim of a punishable offence laid down in Chapter 21 of the Criminal Code, for which the maximum sentence laid down is at least two years of imprisonment.

Non-medical male circumcision may meet the criteria for assault if it has been performed in inappropriate conditions and without pain relief. The police should be consulted in uncertain situations.