Baby boy bleeds to death after clandestine surgical procedure in Spain goes horribly wrong

Circumcision for cultural or religious reasons is not covered by the public health system in Spain and, as a result, some are carried out in private homes by unqualified people

Nerea Escámez

Almeria

Thursday, 17 April 2025, 07:00

A baby boy that was fewer than 40 days old died from a haemorrhage after a clandestine domestic circumcision went wrong in Roquetas de Mar in Andalucía's Almeria province on Sunday night. The Guardia Civil arrested the child's parents, both of Malian origin, and the fake doctor who performed the illegal surgery without the necessary resources or hygiene measures being in place.

The defendants were brought before the court on Monday. The person who performed the surgery has been remanded in custody, without the right to bail, while the parents have been provisionally released with precautionary measures: fortnightly appearances before the court and a ban on leaving the country. On Monday, the police officers searched the home where the events took place under judicial authorisation.

The baby's father made a statement before the judge and answered all questions, while the mother was not able to give her testimony, as she is not in "adequate physical condition".

It was around 9pm on Sunday night when the little boy was taken to the emergency department of a health centre. However, the medical staff were unable to save him due to the gravity of the wound and other associated pathologies. The situation led to the activation of the protocol for assaults on minors, which resulted in the arrest of the parents and the clandestine surgeon.

An autopsy will be carried out on the baby's body to determine the precise cause of death. Circumcision is the removal of all or part of the foreskin (skin covering the head of the penis) by means of a surgery that leaves the member uncovered. This operation is performed under local anaesthesia and does not usually require hospitalisation. Circumcision for cultural or religious reasons is not covered by the public health system in Spain. In general, covered health services are aimed at the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

120 euros per circumcision

The lack of knowledge about how to perform a circumcision in Spain outside the health system means that some people perform it in private homes with unqualified staff. Others take a trip to their country of origin to carry it out. In 2017, the police discovered a fake doctor who was performing the service for 120 euros in the provinces of Murcia and Almeria.

The Poniente Hospital in El Ejido (Almeria) has previously had a case of a six-year-old Guinean boy who had to have part of his penis amputated after his parents circumcised him. This procedure is practised by most Muslims, although it is not considered obligatory as it is not ordered in the Quran.

There have also been two precedents in Zaragoza and Valencia, in November 2008 and March 2011, which led to the deaths of newborns. In Zaragoza, the provincial court sentenced the parents and the "doctor" to 18 months in prison for the crime of negligent homicide, after the prosecutor's office modified its initial classification of intentional homicide and the request for 13 years in prison.

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