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Holm Putzke (1973) is a professor for criminal law at the University of Passau, Germany.

Education and career

Putzke studied law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Bochum and passed the First State Examination in Law 1997, followed by the Second State Examination in Law in 2002. In 2003 he received the PhD in law and 2009 the Master of Laws (LL.M.) at the Jagiellonian University of Kraków/Poland. From 2002 until 2003 he was a graduate teaching assistant at the chair of criminal law, criminal procedure law and general legal philosophy (Professor Dr. Rolf Dietrich Herzberg) at the Faculty of Law, University of Bochum (research in and teaching of criminal law, criminal procedure law and juvenile criminal justice) and from 2003 until 2010 an associate professor at the chair of criminology, criminal policy and police science at the faculty of law, University of Bochum (researcher and lecturer for criminal law, criminal procedure law and juvenile criminal justice). Since 2010 Putzke is a professor (tenured) and works also as a criminal defence lawyer.

He is a member of the advisory boards of the Institute for Secular Law and the Giordano Bruno Foundation. Putzke worked as an expert for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (2005), and for the project Juveniles' Rights in Criminal Procedure and Guarantees to their Practical Implementation in Kazakhstan on behalf of the Soros Foundation—Kazakhstan (2005), and on behalf European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2003) and Estonia (2003) as well.

Main interests

Putzke's main fields of interest are criminal law, criminal procedural law, criminal law relating to young offenders and relating to economic offenses, and criminology.

Legality of male circumcision

In 2012, Putzke became known for his work on the legality of male circumcision. On May 7, 2012, a court in Cologne, Germany ruled that circumcision was "inflicting bodily harm on boys too young to consent", deciding that the practice contravenes the "interests of the child to decide later in life on his religious beliefs". This worldwide discussed decision based on the article "Die strafrechtliche Relevanz der Beschneidung von Knaben" ("Criminal Relevance of Circumcising Boys"), published by Holm Putzke in 2008. This article was the first one in Germany which broach the issue; his article had a significant influence for the whole discussion about circumcision as criminal assault in Germany. Putzke's 2008 article set the stage for Germany's legal view of infant circumcision. In the article, he stated, "There are no compelling arguments which can justify a religious circumcision of minors. Without effective consent, the assault is illegal. A physician should refuse to perform a circumcision if it is not medically indicated." In the wake of Germany's controversial ruling, Putzke has been in the media spotlight, receiving threats of drowning and forcible circumcision. Putzke's work swayed significant the current debate in Germany.

Putzke argues "that medically unnecessary operations should be delayed until a patient is capable of deciding whether to have a part of his genitals cut off".

Bibliography (selection)

• Holm Putzke (2014). Die Beschneidungsdebatte aus Sicht eines Protagonisten. Anmerkungen zur Entstehung und Einordnung des Beschneidungsurteils sowie zum Beschneidungsparagrafen (§ 1631d BGB) und zu seinen Konsequenzen. In: Matthias Franz (Hrsg.), Die Beschneidung von Jungen: Ein trauriges Vermächtnis. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 978-3525404553.
• Reinhard Merkel; Holm Putzke (2013). After Cologne: male circumcision and the law. Parental right, religious liberty or criminal assault?. In: Journal of Medical Ethics (JME), p. 444–449 .
• Holm Putzke; Joerg Scheinfeld (2013). Strafprozessrecht (5 ed.). C.H. Beck. ISBN 978-3406651175.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Holm Putzke; Joerg Scheinfeld; Gisela Klein; Udo Undeutsch (2009). Polygraphische Untersuchungen im Strafprozess. Neues zur faktischen Validität und normativen Zulässigkeit des vom Beschuldigten eingeführten Sachverständigenbeweises. In: Zeitschrift für die gesamte Strafrechtswissenschaft 121 (2009), p. 607–644 .
• Holm Putzke (2008). Die strafrechtliche Relevanz der Beschneidung von Knaben. Zugleich ein Beitrag über die Grenzen der Einwilligung in Fällen der Personensorge. In: Festschrift für Rolf Dietrich Herzberg, p. 669–709. PDF; 7,12 MB. ISBN 978-3161495700. Translation: Criminal Relevance of Circumcising Boys. A Contribution to the Limitation of Consent in Cases of Care for the Person of the Child. PDF; 142 KB, translated by Katharina McLarren.
• Holm Putzke (2004). Beschleunigtes Verfahren bei Heranwachsenden: Zur strafprozessualen Ausprägung des Erziehungsgedankens in der Adoleszenz. Felix-Verlag. ISBN 978-3927983717.

References

1. Website from Professor Dr. Holm Putzke at the University of Passau, Retrieved 10 July 2014.
2. Curriculum Vitae Professor Dr. Holm Putzke, Retrieved 10 July 2014.
3. "Prof. Dr. Holm Putzke | ifw - Institut für Weltanschauungsrecht". weltanschauungsrecht.de. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
4. "Putzke, Holm". www.giordano-bruno-stiftung.de. 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
5. Curriculum Vitae Professor Dr. Holm Putzke, Retrieved 27 July 2014.
6. CBS News German court rules circumcision goes against "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity", 13 July 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
7. Bloomberg.com Jewish Leaders Protest German Ruling Against Circumcision, 10 July 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
8. Aljazeera America German court: Child circumcision "an assault", 27 June 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
9. theguardian.com Circumcision ruling condemned by Germany's Muslim and Jewish leaders, 27 June 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
10. TheJerusalemPost.com German court declares circumcisions a crime, 26 June 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
11. Deutsche Welle Circumcision verdict causes legal headache, 28 June 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
12. Reuters German verdict aims to delay circumcision, not ban it, jurist says Archived 2015-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
13. Holm Putzke: Die strafrechtliche Relevanz der Beschneidung von Knaben. Zugleich ein Beitrag über die Grenzen der Einwilligung in Fällen der Personensorge. In: Festschrift für Rolf Dietrich Herzberg, Tübingen 2008, p. 669–709 - Translation: Criminal Relevance of Circumcising Boys. A Contribution to the Limitation of Consent in Cases of Care for the Person of the Child, translated by Katharina McLarren.
14. WSWW.org German court bans circumcision on religious grounds, 6 August 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
15. Circumcision Information Australia German court rules non-therapeutic circumcision of boys unlawful, Retrieved 16 June 2014.
16. Intactamerica Intactivist of the month: Holm Putzke Archived 2014-08-02 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
17. Der Spiegel Where Human Rights Collide: Circumcision Debate Has Berlin Searching for Answers, 25 July 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
18. Religion gegen Recht – Ist die Beschneidung unzulässig?; German TV "PHOENIX Runde", 11 July 2012.
19. Streit ums Beschneidungs-Urteil - Religionsfreiheit ade?, ARD, German TV "Anne Will", 11 July 2012.
20. Humanistischer Pressedienst Holm Putzke: Den Gesetzgeber hat der Teufel geritten, Interview, 7 January 2013, Nr. 14709, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
21. ICCJ-Workshop-Paper, 13 July 2013, Retrieved 18 June 2014.
22. Let Boys Decide at 16, 11 July 2012, Retrieved 18 June 2014.

External links

• Literature by and about Holm Putzke in the German National Library catalogue
• Website from Professor Dr. Holm Putzke at the University of Passau
• Website from Professor Dr. Holm Putzke

• Living people
• Jurists from Saxony
• 1973 births
• Academic staff of the University of Passau