Teen Bleeds To Death After Failed Circumcision

KEY POINTS

A 13-year-old boy in the Philippines died Tuesday after he was circumcised at a medical mission
His phallus had uneven stitching, and it appeared as if a blood vessel or ligament had been torn, his family says
Authorities may file charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over the death

A 13-year-old boy in the Philippines died from blood loss last week following a botched circumcision, his family claimed.

Angelo Tolentino, of Lucena City, died Tuesday of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy caused by excessive blood loss, ABS-CBN reported, citing the boy's death certificate.

Tolentino had been circumcised at a medical mission in Zaballero Subdivision on March 19, which was organized by the Scouts Royale Brotherhood fraternity, according to the Philippine media outlet.

However, Tolentino's penis reportedly never stopped bleeding following the surgery. He was taken to Quezon Memorial Hospital on March 21 before dying the next day.

A nurse claimed the stitching on Tolentino's phallus was uneven, and it appeared as if a blood vessel or ligament had been torn, according to Ana Francisco, the boy's mother.

Tolentino's family is now seeking justice for the boy's death.

"To whoever did this to my son, please claim liability," Francisco was quoted as saying.

The family has requested assistance from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), a report the Manila Bulletin said.

A forensic team from the agency has conducted an autopsy, according to the newspaper.

PAO may file charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide over Tolentino's death.

"There is clear negligence," agency chief Dr. Persida Rueda Acosta said Sunday.

Quezon Memorial Hospital must also explain why Tolentino was not immediately given a blood transfusion despite him being anemic, according to the chief public attorney.

The hospital did not release a statement as the PAO investigation is ongoing.

Scouts Royale Brotherhood also has not released a statement.

In a similar story, a 2-year-old boy in Australia died while his younger brother underwent surgery in December 2021 after the two underwent botched circumcisions.

The older child was declared dead on arrival at Armadale Hospital on Dec. 7, 2021, and his younger sibling was taken to Perth Children's Hospital in Nedlands for emergency surgery.

The two underwent failed circumcisions at a medical clinic in Perth, Western Australia.

The 2-year-old's official cause of death was not disclosed, and it was unclear what injuries he and his brother sustained from the circumcisions.

Authorities did not treat the death as suspicious.

The surviving child was treated in an intensive care unit and was later discharged.