The Health Ministry has announced that from the New Year all circumcisions of baby boys must be reported to the National Patient Registry – regardless of whether they are performed at a clinic or home.
Doctors who neglect reporting a circumcision surgery to the authorities will be fined.
The Jewish Society in Denmark hopes that compulsory registration will result in a decline of illegal cases.
READ MORE: Danish government agrees that circumcision is a human right
Ethically unacceptable
“We have to have a better overview, and therefore we demand doctors also report circumcisions performed outside private clinics,” Ellen Trane Nørby, the health minister, told Kristeligt Dagblad.
In Denmark, ritual circumcisions can be carried out either at a clinic or at home, but always in the presence of a certified doctor.
The Danish Medical Association believes the circumcision of male children without a medical necessity is ethically unacceptable and should not be performed without the informed consent of the person undergoing the procedure.
A July survey revealed that nine out of ten Danes would ban ritual circumcision of boys before they reach the age of 18.
