Ugandan mother becomes first convicted of FGM in UK

Feb 02, 2019

The 37-year-old, who lives in London but cannot be identified for legal reasons, wept in the dock as she was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey in London, England's central criminal court.

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)
^{A Ugandan woman became the first person ever to be found guilty of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain when she was convicted on Friday of harming her then three-year-old daughter in 2017.}

^{The 37-year-old, who lives in London but cannot be identified for legal reasons, wept in the dock as she was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey in London, England's central criminal court.}

^{Her 43-year-old Ghanaian partner, the girl's father, who also cannot be identified, was cleared.}

^{FGM has been specifically outlawed in Britain since 1985 but previous prosecutions have never been successful.}

^{The parents brought their bleeding daughter to hospital in August 2017, with the mother claiming she had fallen from a kitchen worktop onto an open door. Doctors found the injuries were consistent with deliberate mutilation rather than a fall.}

^{Police found spells and curses in the mother's home, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the state prosecutors in England.}

^{They included two cow tongues in her freezer bound in wire, with nails and a small knife embedded in them.}

^{There were also 40 limes which contained pieces of paper with the names of police officers and social workers involved in the case.}

^{'Cloak of secrecy'}

^{Government figures indicate that tens of thousands of women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM.}

^{Studies show FGM in Britain is chiefly rooted in its African communities.}

^{"FGM has an appalling physical and emotional impact on victims that usually lasts their entire life," said the CPS's Lynette Woodrow.}

^{"We can only imagine how much pain this vulnerable young girl suffered and how terrified she was.}

^{"A three-year-old has no power to resist or fight back.}

^{"Her mother then coached her to lie to the police so she wouldn't get caught but this ultimately failed.}

^{"We will not hesitate to prosecute those who commit this sickening offence."}

^{Anti-FGM legislation was extended in 2003 and the maximum penalty is 14 years in jail.}

^{The CPS said it was "extremely difficult" to secure evidence in FGM cases, given the young age and vulnerability of victims, and a reluctance to testify against their closest family.}

^{Inspector Allen Davis, the FGM lead officer for London's Metropolitan Police said the crime was taking place "behind a cloak of secrecy".}

^{"This is an issue around honour and shame and we are dealing with communities that can be quite closed," he said after the case.}

^{He said there was "a massive barrier to people giving evidence against their mum".}

^{Davies added: "The young victims often have no way to speak out or may not even know what is happening to them."}

^{Police said the daughter had made a good recovery from her "horrific and life-changing" injuries and been placed with another family.}