Police investigate death of Jewish baby who fell ill after circumcision
Police are investigating the death of a Jewish baby boy who stopped breathing after being circumcised.
Amitai Moshe, just seven days old at the time, developed breathing problems during a ceremony at a synagogue in north London.
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He was rushed to hospital, but died a week later of a suspected heart attack.
Now child abuse investigators from the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crime Directorate have been called in to examine the circumstances of his death.
The boy's mother Yotvat, 30, said she was still too upset to talk about her son's death.
She and her husband Ran, 32, who have a daughter aged around two or three, were yesterday being comforted by Mrs Moshe's mother at their £500,000 semi-detached home in Golders Green north London.
A neighbour said the couple are of Israeli origin and had only moved into their house less than a year ago.
He said: "They are a tremendously nice couple, for this to happen to them or to anyone is absolutely terrifying."
Another neighbour said: "The baby was not ill when he was circumcised - if he was this would not be allowed under our religion."
Circumcision is traditionally carried out on Jewish boys a few days after they are born and is followed by a naming ceremony.
A police spokesman said Amitai was taken to the Royal Free Hospital by the Hatzola Ambulance Service at about 8.25am on February 1.
He was later transferred to University College Hospital, where he died on February 9.
A post-mortem examination found the baby suffered a cardiac arrest and oxygen starvation to the brain.
The cause of death has not been confirmed and police are treating the death as unexplained, the spokesman said.
He said: "Inquiries are being carried out by officers from the Specialist Crime Directorate to establish the circumstances that led to the child becoming ill.
"His death is being treated as unexplained at this early stage."
An inquest into Amitai's death was opened and adjourned on Thursday.
A coroner's officer at Hornsey Coroner's Court said: "The child abuse investigation team is investigating the circumstances. A post mortem revealed a possible cause of death but this is to be confirmed after further tests."
The rabbi at the Golders Green synagogue was unavailable for comment as he was out of the country.
A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "We are deeply saddened by the event. There were absolutely no problems at the time of the circumcision and it was about 15 minutes afterwards that it was noticed there were some breathing difficulties.
"No causal connection has been established between the circumcision and Amitai's death.
"It was carried out by a mohel who is a registered member of the Initiation Society, which has been regulating and training them for over 200 years.
"Over 2,000 circumcisions of baby boys are carried out in Britain every year. It is a very established, regulated practice in terms of medical training.
"This was an unfortunate juxtaposition of two events."
