A man who falsely claimed to be a doctor while carrying out dangerous circumcisions on babies and young boys has had his prison sentence reduced by three years after a successful appeal. Mohammed Alazawi, of Ilford, east London, was originally jailed for nine years after being convicted of dozens of offences relating to illegal circumcision procedures carried out between 2016 and 2022. However, the Court of Appeal has ruled that the original sentencing judge had effectively “double-counted” some of the offences when determining his prison term, reducing the sentence to six years’ imprisonment.
Posed as a Medical Professional
The court heard Alazawi falsely presented himself as a qualified doctor while offering non-therapeutic circumcisions to families across London, Birmingham and other parts of England. He carried out procedures on babies and young boys in makeshift, unsanitary settings using prescription-only anaesthetic that he was not authorised to administer. Several children suffered infections, severe pain and longer-term complications following the procedures.
Convicted of 40 Offences
Alazawi was convicted of 40 offences, including:
- Fraud
- Wounding with intent
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
- Unlawfully administering prescription-only medicines
The Crown Prosecution Service said he repeatedly deceived parents by claiming to possess medical qualifications in order to gain their trust.
Court of Appeal Reduces Sentence
Although appeal judges described Alazawi’s conduct as “serious, dangerous and deceptive”, they found the original sentencing exercise was flawed. The Court ruled that offences relating to fraud and the unlawful administration of anaesthetic had been counted separately when they should instead have been treated as aggravating features of the assault offences. As a result, Alazawi’s overall prison sentence has been reduced from nine years to six years. The convictions themselves remain unchanged.
Calls for Greater Regulation
The case has renewed concerns over the regulation of non-therapeutic male circumcision in the UK. The investigation was launched after a child in Birmingham developed a serious infection following one of Alazawi’s procedures, leading detectives to uncover offending spanning several years. Authorities have since warned parents to ensure anyone carrying out surgical procedures on children is appropriately qualified and registered. They continue to urge families to verify the credentials of practitioners before consenting to any medical or surgical treatment involving children.
