Local police in Antwerp conducted raids on Wednesday morning at three locations as part of an ongoing judicial investigation into illegal circumcisions.
Two of the searches took place in the Jewish neighbourhood, while the third occurred in the nearby Green Quarter, according to VRT NWS and confirmed by the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The raids were carried out by the environmental service of the local investigative unit on orders from the investigating judge. No arrests were made, but some items were seized.
"The investigation focuses on medical procedures carried out by individuals without any medical training," the prosecutor’s office stated. "In other words, the circumcisions are allegedly being performed without a doctor."
Last autumn, it was revealed that the prosecutor’s office was investigating illegal circumcision practices in Antwerp.
The investigation began after a complaint from within the Jewish community itself. These procedures primarily involve the removal of the foreskin from young boys shortly after birth.
