The Jewish Tribune, UK reports: A North London coroner this week ruled that infant death syndrome was the cause of the petiroh of a baby shortly after his bris two and a half years ago. He cleared a mohel and the Hatzola organisation of any responsibility for the death. The tragedy happened following the circumcision in Dunstan Road Shul,Golders Green, which had been carried out in a perfect manner by the Mohel. Half an hour later the baby collapsed in its mother’s arms. Hatzola was called and the baby was taken to the resuscitation department at the Royal Free Hospital and then to University College Hospital. However, all the efforts of the doctors were in vain and the baby did not recover.

An inquest was ordered and the Initiation Society realised this was a very serious matter and that all efforts must be made to have a strong case to put before the coroner.  Anti-Milah activists were soon mobilised and several national newspapers carried headlines such as “Baby Dies after Circumcision”. President of the Initiation Society Judge Leonard Gerber also received many communications from the anti-Milah lobby saying that this proved that legislation was necessary to ban Milah in England. It was thus clear that a strong defence must be prepared to be put before the coroner at the inquest. Fortunately, Mr Jonathan Goldberg QC agreed to act pro bono as well as the solicitor Mr Ari Kramer. Mr Gavriel Schleider was the co-ordinating officer of the defence.

The inquest at Hornsey Coroner’s Court this week began with the mohel who gave evidence of performing the Milah in his usual manner with no untoward incident.  Everything went very smoothly and as an experienced Mohel there was nothing to alert him to any danger.  He told the coroner of his general training and how he had been kept up to date with medical developments by the Initiation Society’s regular workshops and seminars.  The coroner was clearly impressed by his sincerity and ability.  Fortunately, among the guests at the bris was Dr Simon Cohen a senior Consultant Physician at University College Hospital and he gave evidence at the court of his efforts to resuscitate the baby which unfortunately were not successful.  The first person to arrive from Hatzola was Mr David Bordon who immediately called a Hatzola ambulance and began to try to clear the baby’s breathing airways without success.  He accompanied the baby and the baby’s father to the Royal Free Hospital.  The Coroner questioned him about the hours he dedicates to Hatzola work and was most impressed by the time the volunteers of Hatzola devote to helping the sick.  Evidence was also given by Professor Peter Fleming, recognized as a leading authority on cot deaths.  Having examined all the evidence he concluded in his report that the death of the baby could be classified as a cot death.  This was accepted by the Coroner in his verdict which was “death due to natural causes”.  No blame whatsoever was to be attributed to the Mohel or to Hatzola.

Following the verdict Judge Gerber commented: “Our sympathy goes out to the parents of the child but fortunately they have had another male child since, who of course has had a successful Milah.

It is to be hoped that after this investigation and verdict the anti-Milah lobby will be silent.  In reality we have to be on guard for the future.  The petirah of this child was a unique occurrence.  The records of the Initiation Society go back for almost a century and there is no mention of a death following Bris Milah.”

(Dina Rosell – Jewish Tribune, London, UK)