The German government says Jewish and Muslim communities should be able to continue the practice of circumcision, after a regional court ruled it amounted to bodily harm. The ruling does not establish a national precedent but does create a climate of juridical uncertainty.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said it was a case of protecting religious freedom.

He said: “Circumcision carried out in a responsible manner must be possible without punishment.”   »»» BBC News

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, death following circumcision is rare and is estimated affect 1 infant in 500,000. Other sources estimate that 35,000,000 circumcisions are carried out annually worldwide. Thus an estimated 70 deaths per year result from circumcision complications. Almost all of them could be avoided by using proper techniques and patient follow-up.

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