Swedish officials express concern over circumcision

Swedish officials say there is no reason to circumcise young boys and the practice violates United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Comments from Sweden's children's Ombudsman Fredrik Malmberg -- along with representatives from the Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Society of Health Professionals, the Swedish Pediatric Society, and the Swedish Association of Pediatric Surgeons -- came in a debate article published Saturday in the Dagens Nyheter daily, The Local.se reported. "To circumcise a child without medical reasons and without the child's consent, runs contrary ... to the child's human rights and the fundamental principles of medical ethics," Malmberg and the healthcare representatives wrote. Circumcision is typically performed on boys when they are very young and unable to give consent, they argued. "We consider circumcision of boys without the child's consent to be in contravention of article 12 of U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which gives children the right to have an opinion in matters which concern them," the article said. The officials urged a change in Swedish legislation on circumcision bring the country in line with human rights of the child and medical ethics. Ombudsmen from across Scandinavia are scheduled to meet Monday in Oslo, Norway, to discuss the issue.