Female genital mutilation laws to be toughened against families (in UK) [View All]

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

New guidelines to target families that take young girls abroad to undergo female genital mutilation are being sent to prosecutors by the government.

Ministers want to encourage more action against those who inflict the brutal procedure on their children and relatives amid concerns that the current approach serves as little deterrent.

Female genital mutilation is an illegal procedure in the UK with those convicted risking 14 years' imprisonment. The Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2003 also allows for the prosecution of British citizens who breach the provisions of the act and perform the procedure abroad.

But while the law seems strict on paper, it seems to have limited effect in practice. Campaigners say 22,000 girls are at risk each year. However, MPs were this week told that there has yet to be a single conviction, despite 100 investigations being carried out over two years by the Met. By contrast the French authorities have successfully prosecuted in 100 cases.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/22/female-genital-mutilation-laws-families

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In the US, according to Wikipedia article about female genital cutting: "In 2006, Khalid Adem became the first man in the United States to be prosecuted for genitally mutilating his daughter. He was convicted, and for the offense received 10 years in jail" (cited a BBC story).

And I've seen some posters on DU shrugging this off as an individual thing...but since when is there an individual right to inflict physical harm another person in the name of culture or religion?