Mom Gets Probation After Bible-Inspired Botched Circumcision

By Helen Jung
Religion News Service

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) A 30-year-old Portland woman who botched a home circumcision of her 3-month-old son has been sentenced to five years of probation.

Keemonta Peterson was arrested last April after a lengthy investigation into the October 2010 incident. Peterson, inspired after reading the Old Testament, decided she wanted her son to be circumcised.

But because she believed he was too old to be circumcised by doctors, she decided to do it herself, after watching YouTube videos. She called 911 after the botched circumcision left her son bleeding uncontrollably and in great pain.

On Monday (Aug. 15), Peterson pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal mistreatment and agreed to undergo mental health treatment and to work with a mental health probation officer. Two other charges of abuse were dismissed.

Doctors completed the circumcision and the boy has fully recovered, said Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney John Casalino. The boy and his three siblings are in the state's care, although Peterson can see them under supervision.

The circumcision was "an aberration during a down period in her life," said her court-appointed lawyer, Scott Raivio. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Eric Bergstrom agreed there was little benefit in Peterson spending any more time in jail than the 28 days she already served.

Despite the "sensational-sounding facts," said Bergstrom, "the reality is you love your children and had absolutely no intent to harm your child."

(Helen Jung writes for The Oregonian in Portland, Ore.)

Comments

[Sammie55]

11:18 AM on 09/15/2011

How freakin scary is that??? But she 'loves her child"?

[dbrett480]

07:23 PM on 09/04/2011

What a nutty judge. If she hurts her kid again, I won't be blaming her. It will be the judge's fault.

[Sammie55]

11:19 AM on 09/15/2011

Again? I wouldn't give her another chance..

[Brittany G Bassett]

02:47 AM on 08/20/2011

Luckily she doesn't live in TX. There definitely wouldn't be a five year probation sentence for this type of child abuse. Ugh.

[Sen Alexander Russell]

01:59 PM on 08/22/2011

Are you joking? She'd probably get a full pardon from the governor because she was doing something 'biblical'. She's no different than the religious nuts that run this state.

[Brittany G Bassett]

02:01 AM on 08/23/2011

Hah! You know what, you are absolutely right. Ugh such a shame.

[Morrisfactor]

01:57 AM on 08/20/2011

This story does not provide the gory details.

The mother in question used a box cutter and pair of pliers for the operation, then tried to sew it up herself with needle and thread. She let the poor toddler cry and bleed for two hours before taking him to a doctor.

Why the judge gave her only five months of probation is beyond me.

If a father performed a circumcision on his three year old daughter with box cutters and pliers, what do you think the judge would have sentenced him?

Five YEARS! At least. (and he'd have deserved it)

Why does this woman get off so lightly?

[ramp613]

10:00 PM on 08/26/2011

Because our culture does not currently offer minor males the same protection against genital modification that we give to minor females. It's not fair, and it's not Constitutional.

[gloriaswanson43]

03:01 PM on 08/19/2011

"The circumcision was "an aberration during a down period in her life," said her court-appointed lawyer" I'll try to be polite: when I'm down, I don't usually go after my son in any way. I take it out on myself. No one should be attempting circumcision at home (did I really just have to type that?!).

[snippylee]

04:52 PM on 09/02/2011

I had the same disgusted reaction to the lawyer's comment. "An aberration"???

[zenju2]

02:02 PM on 08/19/2011

Sheesh. At least the kid wasn't stubborn, rebellious, disobedient, drunk or gluttonous; she'd have tried out Deuteronomy 21...

[Justin Collins]

04:42 AM on 08/19/2011

What bs. Doctors should be "charged with first-degree criminal mistreatment and agree to undergo mental health treatment and to work with a mental health probation officer." Just like she was, this barbaric practice is no different whether this mom does it or some doctor does it!

[Being Mindful]

02:42 AM on 08/20/2011

Exactly! Imagine, doctors are trained to do this, too. Usually as interns, not in classes that teach the anatomy and function of the foreskin for the infant and the adult. They have no idea what they are cutting, but anyway, it's just routine, so it doesn't matter, right?!

[SpookyAnnya]

02:53 AM on 08/19/2011

I hope someone continues to watch over her with her children. Thank God she called 911.

[SonyaInTx]

12:24 AM on 08/19/2011

I'm sure she wouldn't want some lay person to do this to her....

[ramp613]

01:58 AM on 08/27/2011

I'm sure she wouldn't want a doctor doing it, either! Seriously, who wants to give up part of their genitals?!

[Poster9999]

11:44 PM on 08/18/2011

What if this woman was part of some strange but real religion when something in one of her holy books told her to cut the ear lobs off her baby? And then, things went wrong and she had to call 911 for help. Would she still get 5 years probation? Would she get court ordered psychiatric care? Would there be more consideration given to whether or not she should keep full custody of her child?

[novabird]

09:10 PM on 08/18/2011

The eyes. So cold and vacant. Chilly.

[ThaGovna]

04:24 PM on 08/19/2011

That's the holy ghost you're looking at.

Chuuuuurch!

[22Keys]

07:54 PM on 08/18/2011

Let's not turn this into a debate about the ethics of circumcision or religion please. Which procedure is beside the point. This is merely about a (crazy) woman who (in spite of her religion, not because of it) decided to perform an unsanctioned operation on her son.

[Morrisfactor]

01:59 AM on 08/20/2011

Yes, but what if a man did the same thing?

Do you think he'd only get five months probation?

[Being Mindful]

02:45 AM on 08/20/2011

Unsanctioned? Routine and lawful. A mohel can do it. And if you take a look at YouTube under circumcision, you will see what this looks like around the world. Child abuse. Sexual mutilation. Whatever gave anyone, Abraham or this woman, the idea that a boy's or girl's genitals need to be altered?

[iLdoRight]

06:50 PM on 08/18/2011

Isn't it way too bad that most babies are born knowing how to nurse and eliminate and cry?

[SrAN]

12:17 AM on 08/19/2011

What is the point of this comment?

[iLdoRight]

02:59 AM on 08/19/2011

Sorry I left out "only" after the word "knowing", the point being with all the tax money that goes into the schools, probably at least $300 a day per student it is such a shame that our young people are not better educated in the important things of life and perhaps the only chance some babies will have to achieve their full potential is to find a way to be born smart enough to protect them self from their ( fill in the word you want here ) parent or parents. Thanks for asking.

[Syllogizer]

06:32 PM on 08/18/2011

I am sure some will say this illustrates the dangers of reading the Bible. But no: it illustrates the dangers of reading and assuming you understood it when you do not. I guess the cult she is in never bothered to tell her that the Hebrews left that operation to profesionals, to the 'mohels'.

[vaarluukl]

03:12 PM on 08/18/2011

is it just me?...but it seems like there should be a caption that says''mmhm and id do it again too''