Heather Hironimus of Boynton Beach, Fla. who fled with her son to prevent his circumcision might face imprisonment if she doesn't return to sign the consent papers or continues to resist the procedure.
The anti-circumcision activist and mother will be charged with contempt of court for running away with her son and putting him in a media spotlight, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen ruled on Friday. He is giving Hironimus until Tuesday to return with the child before the police begin to track them, SMN Weekly reported.
The legal dispute began when Hironimus agreed in a parenting plan with Dennis Nebus, the child's father, that the child will undergo circumcision. However, she changed her mind and refused to sign the consent papers. She also joined the so-called "intactivists" who believe that circumcision is barbaric.
"This child has been placed in a light that provides much too much scrutiny for a little boy," the judge told the Associated Press. "I blame no one but the mother for that."
Nebus added that the he hasn't seen his son since Feb. 19 and has no idea of the child's whereabouts. He is worried about his son's well-being and emotional condition.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is endorsing circumcision and highlighting that the benefits outweigh the risks. The health agency said that the surgery can reduce the risk of HIV transmission to women by almost half. Male circumcision rates in the United States dropped between 1979 and 2010 by seven percent.
The controversial procedure has been subject to religious, ethical, sexual and health issues. Some of the common reasons why intactivists oppose circumcision include prominent scarring, uncomfortable erection, uneven skin loss, pain and bleeding. Some men also experience feelings of mutilation, low self-esteem, rage, depression, violation, and parental betrayal after the surgery.
