Antwerp Court Delays Decision on Whether to Indict Two Haredi Mohels

The Antwerp Court of Appeal in Belgium has postponed indefinitely its decision on whether to indict two Haredi mohels over allegations that they performed dozens of circumcisions without the medical authorization required under local law. The suspects are Rabbi Aharon Eckstein, 76, and Rabbi David Moshe Landau, 47, both described as veteran and well-known mohels in Jewish communities across Europe.

Prosecutors say the two carried out 98 circumcisions on infants between December 2023 and March 2025 without holding approval from the Belgian health system. The public prosecutor is seeking to charge them with assault, harming minors, and practicing medicine illegally. One charge, assaulting minors, was removed early in the investigation for lack of evidence.

The case was opened in October 2024 after a complaint was filed by a former member of Antwerp’s Jewish community. During the investigation, authorities used wiretaps on the suspects’ phones, examined email correspondence, and searched within the Jewish community.

When questioned, the mohels refused to answer and submitted a written statement arguing that circumcision is a religious and cultural practice, not a medical procedure. The latest delay came after both sides asked for more investigative steps. The complainant wants to submit additional evidence and question other people he says coordinate circumcisions in the community, while the mohels filed an official petition claiming the accusations are false. The case has been sent back to the investigating judge, who will decide on that petition before any possible indictment.