2012-07-18 Denmark: Leading pediatrician accuses Chief Rabbi of having caused harm from circs

[Mister.Barbecue]

{ It just so happens this rabbi used to be a kosher butcher before becoming a mohel. Coincidence...? }

Blog entry (has transcript and link to youtube video): http://blog.balder.org/?p=1444
Youtube video of news program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1IzHwvc5yc

Danish Politicians petition site - send politicians and political parties your letters of support!

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Denmark - Physician accuses Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner of causing damage during circumcisions

Here some transscript of a TV Programme aired by the main Danish public service channel Danmark's Radio on Wednesday July 18 at 18:30 hours.

Studio host Steffen Kretz: One of Denmark's leading pediatricians, has accused the leader of the Danish 'Mosaic Faith Society' [Mosaisk Trossamfund], the largest religious organization among Denmark's estimated 7000 Jews, of having mutilated young male infants when they were circumcised.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: 'We have seen examples of all the skin of the penis having been taken off, also when performed by Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner.

Steffen Kretz: The accusation is categorically denied by Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner who has circumcised more than a thousand newly born infant boys.

Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner: It was me who took care of the Jewish circumcisions over forty years, and there were done about a thousand, and there has not been one complication...

End Intro

Steffen Kretz: A heated debate about circumcision of boys is now culminating with an accusation against the leader of the Danish Mosaic Religious Community

The accusation comes from the former leader of Rigshospitalet's Department for Child Surgery.

I must warn our viewers for some unsettling images we are going to see now.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: There we can see; all the skin has been removed of the whole penis...

Speak: Unsettling images from Rigshospitalet's Child Surgery Department

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: It is a wound because all of it is a wound

Speak: The former head of the Child Surgery Department, Preben Kirkegaard, has photos from the department where he during twenty years up to 2010, has seen a number of cases of circumcision of young boys gone wrong.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: During my time at Rigshospitalet, there were brought in several boys each year, who were circumcised 'down town', as it is called,

Speak: In many cases far too much of the skin had been cut off.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: ... and some of them were about to bleed out completely, I must say, their lives were actually endangered.

Speak: But the recent days discussion of circumcision of primarily Jewish and Muslim boys, earlier today caused the head of the Jews in Denmark to stress, that a ban of the ritual practice would chase the Jews out of Denmark.

Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner: We would pack our suitcases as soon as possible, and end 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark.

Speak: One of those Jews who were circumcised at an early age however, does not agree.

Keld Koplev: It is torture and mutilation of male infants. Why should a rabbi, who doesn't have a medical education, be able to do that? Cutting into other people, cutting into children, I don't understand.

Speak: Still Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner claims that during the 40 years he has practiced, there never have been any problems in connection with the procedure.

Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner: Because it is me who has taken care of the Jewish circumcisions, through 40 years, and there were about a thousand, and there never has been one complication.

Speak: But according to Senior Surgeon Preben Kirkegaard, this is an outright lie.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: His is lying if he says that it never happened.

Speak: Because he has been forced to assist several boys who were circumcised by the Chief Rabbi's knife.

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: I have seen examples of cases, where things didn't go the way they were supposed to, also by his hand.

Speak: One of them has been photographed here (mutilated penis picture shown).

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: That is [the result of] a procedure performed by the Chief Rabbi; Lexner.

Speak: The boy in the image has had cut away the skin entirely

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: He has been in danger in connection with the bleeding.

Speak: Preben Kirkegaard continues to work as a doctor, and with the cases he has seen in mind, his verdict about circumcision is clear:

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard: It is child abuse

Steffen Kretz: Good evening Bent Lexner, these are tough accusations against you. It is child abuse, we hear the Doctor say.

And he says, that he has had boys who were circumcised by you in his care, who were mutilated because there were complications, what do you have to say to this criticism?

Rabbi Bent Lexner: First I would like to say that it actually is true, that there has been a situation that I know about where parents that I knew, went to the hospital, where Preben Kirkegaard apparently was on duty at the time being, and what I mostly remember from that case, is that the parents were completely shocked about the treatment they had got.

That this doctor, who now has some opinions about the case, they were shocked by his attitude. He ripped off the bandage, and I have seen the pictures some years ago, I can understand they can perhaps appear dramatic, but I just want to put it to the Doctors attention, that that is the way a circumcision looks, completely natural without problems.

Steffen Kretz: But the Doctor directly says, that, sorry to interrupt, he says directly that you are lying when you say that there have been no complications with the many circumcisions you have performed through the years. What do you say to that accusation?

Rabbi Bent Lexner: I would like to say that it is true; I am sorry that I did not point that out at a that time, when I was interviewed in a car, That I should have said that there had been an example that I knew about at the Rigshospitalet [hospital]

But I'd like to say, that it ended with, that the reason was that there were problems with a virus in the child, and there is nobody who is informed about circumcisions, who will allege that I have destroyed anything at all, that is an unreasonable accusation, which only has something to do with attitudes.

Steffen Kretz: But the doctor says that it not an isolated case, and that there have been more examples.
I would like to ask you: Why should you circumcise thousand very young boys, when you don't have a medical education?

Rabbi Bent Lexner: Excuse me, but I was with guarantee, longer than any Doctors here in Denmark, enrolled in an education program about learning how to circumcise. For two years I took part as a trainee several times a week, I have learned the medical rules, have learned how to do it, how to handle pain, how to do the bandaging, and a lot else. So don't come with these kind of allegations. And by the way, I have circumcised more infants than most of those doctors who express an opinion about this case.

Steffen Kretz: Thank you very much Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner, for being on our news program today

Footnote

1) Rigshospitalet, situated in the capital Copenhagen, is considered to be one of Denmark's most prestigious hospitals

[madbr3991]

look at how the Rabbi tries to doge the question. then he continues to lie even when he has been called out.

[AnonL]

Finally these people are being brought out into the light. The only way society can condone this practice is to keep it out of sight as much as possible. I view these people that are proud of how many boys they've mutilated as child molesters of the worst sort.

[madbr3991]

Dr. Preben Kirkegaard played a great hand. most of humanity is repulsed by sexual assault, torture and pedophilia. this Dr. Preben Kirkegaard painted the rabbi as a pedophile. who tortures and sexually assaults his victims. these circumcisers won't last at this rate.