DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A Florida woman fighting the circumcision of her son has fled with the boy and will face imprisonment for contempt if she doesn't allow the surgery to proceed.
Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen said Friday that Heather Hironimus could escape jail if she appears before him Tuesday with the child and signs paperwork needed to schedule the procedure.
The 4-year-old boy's father, Dennis Nebus, testified he last saw his son Feb. 19. Hironimus' attorney said he did not know where his client was.
The parents agreed to a circumcision in a legal document, but the mother later changed her mind, opening a long legal battle. Circuit and appellate judges have sided with the father.
The case has become a rallying cry for circumcision opponents, who demonstrated outside the courthouse.
Jail looms for mom who fled with son to fight circumcision
Jennifer Blanchard, 34, of Miami, protests in Boynton Beach, Fla., over the case of a little boy whose parents have been fighting over whether to circumcise him. Matt Sedensky | AP