Fake medical practitioner found guilty of causing harm during multiple male circumcision operations

A fake medical practitioner who carried out a number of unsafe and illegal circumcisions causing lasting harm has been convicted today (May 8, 2025).

Mohammed Alazawi, 54, has been convicted of 40 offences which include multiple counts of fraud, wounding with intent, administering and supplying prescription only medicines, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He had pleaded guilty to 20 offences, but was found guilty of 20 further offences following a trial.

Alazawi carried out a number of non-therapeutic male circumcisions between October 2016 and January 2022 on baby boys and older male children. The defendant was able to carry out these procedures because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated and is not required to be carried out by a medical practitioner.

However, as he pretended he was a doctor, parents consented to circumcisions being carried out on their children. In addition, the circumcisions carried out in this case were unlawful because of the manner in which the defendant carried them out. This changed them from an ordinary circumcision which would be safe and sanitary to a procedure which was inherently unsafe or dangerous and therefore unlawful.

Anja Hohmeyer of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Alazawi pretended to be a medical practitioner to unsuspecting families and carried out circumcisions in unsafe, unsanitary and harmful ways, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the safety of his young patients and the impact of his actions on his victims, their families, and communities.

"We hope that this conviction offers them some comfort in seeing Alazawi being brought to justice.”

The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice who wish to do harm.

Leading the investigation which spanned seven years was Det Insp Neil Hunt from West Midlands Police’s public protection unit.He said: “At the heart of this complex investigation was our determination to get justice for the families involved and to safeguard children from a man not qualified to carry out medical procedures.

“He purported to be a doctor but as he was without medical training, his actions amounted to wounding.

“Some of his young victims went on to have complications following the procedures, like infections, and it was after one such incident in Birmingham that we were alerted and began an investigation.

“These lengthy enquiries went on to find many victims from across the UK. It has been the bravery of these families, some from as far away as Canada, in supporting our investigation which has seen this conviction today."