Britain's first female genital mutilation trial expected to come to court within weeks

Britain's first trial for female genital mutilation is expected to take place within weeks, following a concerted campaign to bring the brutal practice to an end.
Despite the procedure being criminalised 28 years ago, the case of an unidentified adult woman who was mutilated twice will be the first female genital mutilation trial to be heard in a UK court.
Experts warned that future prosecutions were being hampered however, as doctors, teachers and social workers are systematically failing to report cases of genital mutilation to the police.
According to the latest research, more than 65,000 girls in the UK are at risk of female genital mutilation.
However there were only 93 reported cases in the UK last year - 69 to the Metropolitan Police and 24 to West Midlands Police.
This is despite an estimated 70 girls, some as young as seven, seeking treatment every month.
Speaking to The Times, Detective Superintendent Jason Ashwood, head of a Scotland Yard team specialising in female genital mutilation cases, said: 'I can hardly think of an example of a doctor calling up to say 'I have someone with me in A&E, please can you call an officer'. That just does not happen'.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552749/Britains-female-genital-mutilation-trial-expected-come-court-weeks.html#ixzz2sdjyTj26
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I am just gob smacked this was not the top headlining story rather than being buried halfway down their website.

excellent news, i hope it ends in prosecution and a serious sentence.

PhilDidge wrote:Britain's first trial for female genital mutilation is expected to take place within weeks, following a concerted campaign to bring the brutal practice to an end.
Despite the procedure being criminalised 28 years ago, the case of an unidentified adult woman who was mutilated twice will be the first female genital mutilation trial to be heard in a UK court.
Experts warned that future prosecutions were being hampered however, as doctors, teachers and social workers are systematically failing to report cases of genital mutilation to the police.
According to the latest research, more than 65,000 girls in the UK are at risk of female genital mutilation.
However there were only 93 reported cases in the UK last year - 69 to the Metropolitan Police and 24 to West Midlands Police.
This is despite an estimated 70 girls, some as young as seven, seeking treatment every month.
Speaking to The Times, Detective Superintendent Jason Ashwood, head of a Scotland Yard team specialising in female genital mutilation cases, said: 'I can hardly think of an example of a doctor calling up to say 'I have someone with me in A&E, please can you call an officer'. That just does not happen'.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552749/Britains-female-genital-mutilation-trial-expected-come-court-weeks.html#ixzz2sdjyTj26
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

It is at least a step in the right direction and will hopefully increase the number of cases reported to the Police. Awful crime   

I think this highlights how and why it is so difficult if so few are being reported and clearly the medical and teaching professions are not doing enough and letting down many young girls

PhilDidge wrote:I think this highlights how and why it is so difficult if so few are being reported and clearly the medical and teaching professions are not doing enough and letting down many young girls  

It is such a closed community hat it is difficult for anyone to find out what is going off..

Yet we know hundreds are being reported - just in the met area alone because a freedom of information request showed that. While hundreds are just a drop in the ocean that is still way more than are getting to court.

heavenly father wrote:

PhilDidge wrote:I think this highlights how and why it is so difficult if so few are being reported and clearly the medical and teaching professions are not doing enough and letting down many young girls  

It is such a closed community hat it is difficult for anyone to find out what is going off..

Not when many are being treated for them in this country, hence medical professionals are not reporting this

I'd give them some respect if they inspected every teenager who is at risk then brought their parents to court if they had butchered said children, or allowed the butchering of their children.

PhilDidge wrote:

heavenly father wrote:

It is such a closed community hat it is difficult for anyone to find out what is going off..

Not when many are being treated for them in this country, hence medical professionals are not reporting this

it depends if the doctors are sympathetic i guess..