By james art A former surgeon who was struck off the UK medical register in 2015 while working at Southampton General Hospital was convicted on Tuesday of causing actual bodily harm, child cruelty and administering prescription-only drugs to several young and vulnerable patients, for neglecting basic hygiene rules when performing home circumcisions and demonstrating disregard for the health, safety and comfort of patients.
Dr Mohammad Siddiqui, 56, from Birmingham, pleaded guilty on Tuesday at Southwark Crown Court to a total of 25 offences, which included 12 counts of actual bodily harm, five counts of cruelty to a child and eight counts of administering prescribed drugs prescription only, against the law.
Between June 2012 and November 2013, Siddiqui operated a private mobile circumcision service.
He was working as a Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Surgery at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and in that capacity was able to secure the anesthetic bupivacaine hydrochloride.
As part of his private circumcision service, he traveled around the UK performing non-therapeutic circumcisions on young male patients up to the age of 14 by appointment.
Anja Hommeyer, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Sidiqi practiced these acts of circumcision in an unsafe and unsanitary environment and thus inflicted painful cruelty on the children, leaving them emotionally and physically scarred.
“He showed a complete disregard for the impact of his actions on his victims, families and communities. We hope this sentence offers some comfort in seeing Siddiqui brought to justice.”
In 2015, Siddiqui was struck off the General Medical Council register after a Medical Professionals Tribunal Service panel found him guilty of failing to perform non-therapeutic male circumcisions in the homes of four infants.
After being suspended, Siddiqui continued to operate his mobile circumcision service. He was able to do so because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated and not required to be performed by a medical practitioner.
However, Siddiqui continued to use bupivacaine in dangerous circumstances and continued to perform circumcisions in unsafe, unsanitary and harmful ways, demonstrating a disregard for the safety of his young patients.
On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to carrying out a catalog of unsafe and unsanitary procedures and causing unnecessary pain and suffering.
Detective Chief Superintendent Fiona Bitters, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police, said: “This was a complex investigation driven by the desire to ensure justice and the protection of children. Siddiqui’s pleas at this stage of the trial demonstrate the strength of the case that we have provided the court with evidence relating to a number of victims who have already been presented.
“Our investigation related to Siddiqui’s criminal acts during circumcision procedures and did not deal with the practice of circumcision itself.
“I hope his pleas today help bring some comfort to his victims who have had to wait many years to see justice for his actions.