Florida Mom Forced To Circumcise 4 Year Old Son

It's a horrifying story. I can't imagine a day when my husband and I would be so at odds with one another. That's what happened here.

4 year old Chase's father decided a circumcision would be best for his son. In court, he cited a legal document both parents had signed. The document was a mutual agreement that he would have a say in all medical decisions.

After determining that circumcision wasn't something she wanted for her son, that it wasn't necessary and was against her beliefs, Hironimus refused to comply with a circumcision for her son.

The legal battle began. Hironomous fought for a year in and out of court to save her son from the surgery. A surgery that doctors testified was not necessary.

NBC shares some details of the case in a recent article, writing:

Circuit and appellate judges sided with the father, but potential surgeons backed out after failing to get the mother's consent and becoming the target of protesters.

When a Florida judge ruled that Hironomous would have to go along with the circumcision, she did what most mothers would do. She tried to protect her child.

She ran, hiding in a battered women's shelter from February until now. When found, she was jailed.

Upon arriving in court Friday, shackled and wearing a navy blue jail jumpsuit, Hironimus quietly invoked her Fifth Amendment rights when asked if she had signed the consent agreement. Gillen said she would be jailed indefinitely unless she did.

During the time she was in jail, the boys father was granted temporary full custody and the exclusive rights to make medical decisions for him.

Finally, in tears Heather Hironomous signed a “consent” under duress with the threat of losing her son and spending an indefinite amount of time in jail. Her year long battle is over.

Her son, Chase, will now be circumcised, provided that the father is able to find a doctor who will agree to perform the elective surgery on a 4 year old without any medical necessity.

Many anti-circumcision activists are  hopeful that doctors will not agree to perform the surgery both because of the boy's age, the lack of medical necessity, and the fact that Hironomous's consent may not qualify as actual consent since it was given under duress.

Either way, the case has united parents from both sides of the circumcision debate. While parents may not agree on whether or not boys should be circumcised, most seem to agree that this case is a tragedy for all parties involved.

For his part, Judge Gillen concluded the case with these words:

“You are both going to continue to be the parents to this young man. You're going to have to learn how to deal with that in an amicable, friendly, civil manner. You're going to have to always take into consideration what's in your child's best interest. To the extent that you may differ on things, you're going to have to talk them out. That's what parents do in a civilized society. You do not take the law into your own hands.”

For more information about the case, read the complete article from NBC.

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