Uppsala doctor denies assault as circumcision investigation continues

A doctor suspected of assault after circumcising boys has been released, but the investigation is continuing. He denies wrongdoing, his lawyer told SVT, criticising both media coverage and the police operation.

Police arrested the doctor on Sunday at a beauty salon in Sala backe, Uppsala, while he was performing circumcisions. He was released on Monday. The prosecution office in Örebro, which handles healthcare cases, is investigating whether the procedures were carried out legally.

The lawyer, Stefan Wallin, said the doctor was still in shock and had a Swedish medical licence and expertise in urology. Wallin said the doctor had permission from the Health and Social Care Inspectorate to perform circumcisions and had taken all necessary precautions. The doctor also runs a clinic elsewhere in Sweden, where he performs the procedures, and has travelled to other parts of the country to do so.

Wallin said early reports suggesting suspected genital mutilation were false and “completely made up”. He said circumcision is common in different cultures and religions, and argued that prejudice had shaped the reaction.

One boy was taken to hospital for surgery after a circumcision and was discharged on Monday, according to the Prosecution Authority. The procedure involving that boy is being investigated as assault, said the previous lead prosecutor, Emma Haals. Wallin said his client was surprised by the information and maintained that nothing had gone wrong.

Hanna Göthberg of the prosecution office in Örebro said she was reviewing the investigation and could not comment at this stage.