Last Tuesday, the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly adopted
Resolution 1952, Children's Right To Physical Integrity, and a related
Recommendation to members. The Resolution provides in part:
The Parliamentary Assembly is particularly worried about a category of violation of the physical integrity of children, which supporters of the procedures tend to present as beneficial to the children themselves despite clear evidence to the contrary. This includes, amongst others, female genital mutilation, the circumcision of young boys for religious reasons, early childhood medical interventions in the case of intersexual children and the submission to or coercion of children into piercings, tattoos or plastic surgery....
The Assembly therefore calls on member States to:
...take the following measures with regard to specific categories of violation of children’s physical integrity:
...publicly condemn the most harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, and pass legislation banning these....
clearly define the medical, sanitary and other conditions to be ensured for practices which are today widely carried out in certain religious communities, such as the non-medically justified circumcision of young boys....
According to the
Jerusalem Post:
Large majorities rejected five amendments that sought to remove or alter references to the circumcision of boys. An amendment that removed a reference to the “religious rights of parents and families” was supported by a large majority of members.
The Resolution and Recommendation are not binding on EU members. Among reactions to the resolution are those of
Brendan O'Neill at The Telebraphand
Eugene Kontorovich at Volokh Conspiracy.
