Shedding tears, Heather Hironimus signed the paperwork ending a year-long legal battle with her husband Dennis Nebus who supported the procedure.
The two had initially agreed on the surgery in a parenting agreement filed in court, but Hironimus later changed her mind. In February, she went missing with her child after Judge Jeffrey Gillen had ordered her to stay in court and allow for the surgery to be performed.
Since the case regarding the circumcision went public, Nebus has been coming under fire by anti-circumcision activists often called “Intactivists.”
Georganne Chapin, the executive director of acitivist group Intact America said Hironimus was “bullied” into signing the document.
“I don’t know what’s in his (Gillen) head,” said Chapin. “I don’t know how he can sleep at night.”
Potential surgeons, who backed out of performing the procedure after the initial parenting agreement had been filed, also received threats.
Nebus’s lawyer May Cain said people threatened to take his client’s life and kidnap his child.
Gillen approved a motion by Cain to temporarily give Nebus sole decision-making power in matters involving his son’s health and to allow Nebus to leave the state if necessary to have the circumcision performed.
By Friday afternoon, Hironimus was still jailed and she is expected back in court Tuesday in a separate criminal case involving interfering with child custody. It’s not clear when she will be released.
After she signed the agreement, Hironimus gave mothers and fathers words of advice.
“You are both going to continue to be the parents to this young man. You’re going to have to learn how to deal with that in an amicable, friendly, civil manner. You’re going to have to always take into consideration what’s in your child’s best interest. To the extent that you may differ on things, you’re going to have to talk them out. That’s what parents do in a civilized society.
“You do not take the law into your own hands.”
