Female circumcision.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....llegally-Britain.html

With as many as 100,000 women who have undergone this brutal genital mutilation illegally in Britain, why are the police failing to act against this barbaric practice?

/// The Metropolitan Police said since 2008, it had received 166 reports of people who fear they are at risk of FGM but it has failed to bring forward a single perpetrator. ///

/// It is the same for all 43 forces across England and Wales with no convictions for the offence ever taking place.///

[Jemisa]

I saw a prog on this a vear or so back, its done by back street butchers on little girls as young as 5 years. Makes me shudder.

jem

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....-women-mutilated.html

In both this the Daily Telegraph's report, and the Daily Mail report. Supermodel Waris Dirie was quick to use the 'Race Card'.

/// Supermodel Waris Dirie, who was mutilated as a child, is a vociferous opponent of the practice. ///

/// Calling for a crackdown on FGM, she said: "If a white girl is abused, the police come break down the door. If a black girl is mutilated, nobody takes care of her. This is what I call racism." ///

Is it fair for her to use the 'Race Card'?

[friedgreentomato]

To a certain degree she is correct - if it had been done to a white child everyone would be up in arms because it is not expected but in certain black cultures it is expected.

The police will be limited as to what they can do - they turn up at the door as a few questions and have to go away without enough evidence they cannot get a warrant - what do you want them to do break down the door of every black person in the country incase they are carry out this disgusting act?

[hc4361]

The parents/guardians of the child should be prosecuted if they won't name the person who carried out the mutilation.

[Clanad]

As brutal and barbaric as the practice is, thing is if the police prosecuted practioners of this procedure, at least here in the U.S., the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) would, at the speed of light, file law suit on one of two bases. One, being, the State cannot interfere with a religious function, but more likely, number two would be a law suit based on the fact that a large majority of American hospitals as well as Jewish (and Muslim) and a few other religious segments of society practice circumcision, hence the law suit due to prohibiting the practice on females but not males.
As incongrous as that may seem, in today's politically correct litigious, suit happy society, if I were a prosecuting attorney, I would be loathe to get embroiled in that swamp...
Lest anyone misconstrue this view as in any way condoning the evil practice, think again... we've seen all kinds of politically correct but highly unreasonable law suits just as described.
Additionally, this would soon be attacked as being some sort of 'racial profiling', which, here in the U.S. is just one step above kicking small puppies.

[Sqad]

\\\ it had received 166 reports of people who fear they are at risk of FGM \\

Who does one prosecute when people "fear that they are at risk?"
It is only when they have been exposed to the ritual of FGM and makes a complaint against the perpetrator, can a prosecution be made.

That seems to be the problem.

[hc4361]

Clanad, a good argument, but it should be relatively easy to demonstrate the fundamental differences between male and female circumcision.

I doubt if registered medical practitioners are carrying out these 'operations' so it would be possible to prosecute for grievous bodily harm, and the parent/guardian for aiding and abetting, if not inciting.

[naomi24]

//Is it fair for her to use the 'Race Card'?//

No, it isn’t. Unless a complaint is made, the police would be unaware that a girl had been subjected to this horror – and I imagine that few complaints are forthcoming from any of the people involved.

//The Metropolitan Police said since 2008, it had received 166 reports of people who fear they are at risk of FGM but it has failed to bring forward a single perpetrator.//

if the reports received came from people who only fear they are at risk, there are no perpetrators. No crime has been committed. What do you expect the police to do?

[Sqad]

hc4361


\\\\I doubt if registered medical practitioners are carrying out these 'operations' \\\

Unfortunately they are.

[tonyav]

Sqad, do you think these qualified 'butchers' should be struck off if they are caught ?.

[Sqad]

tony.....absolutely.......FGM is illegal in the UK.

[Toes]

I think Waris Dirie, had a point. If a white child had to visit a Dr (for what ever reason), and was found to have FGM, there would be a huge out cry. But I do wonder if Dr's, nurses etc, do noting if an African child has FGM. i.e turn a blind eye, and call it "culture"

[naomi24]

Clanad, what a pity the American Civil Liberties Union doesn't defend the liberties of young girl who have no choice in the matter.

[tonyav]

Thanks sqad, I thought you would say that, and i totally agree.

[brionon]

Racism innit !!

[sandyRoe]

I believe it's not only tiny children who are subjected to this. If it became known that a bigger girl 'feared she was at risk' the authorities could seize her passport. This would prevent her being taken abroad for the procedure and also send a signal to the parents that the authorities knew what was planned.

[naomi24]

Toes, I think girls that have been subjected to this, would, if medical treatment were necessary, be taken to one of the doctors that Sqad is talking about. I doubt they’d be taken to A&E at the local hospital. As he says, this practice is illegal in this country.

[hc4361]

sandyroe - they don't need to go abroad for it.

[Toes]

naomi, that may be the case most of the time I agree, but do these children and young adults never get involved in road accidents, suffer asthma attack at school, fracture limbs, etc, etc. I doubt it.

[Sqad]

How would ABers greet the suggestion of FGM being made legal in the UK and treated like abortions and Clanad's point of circumcision in males?

This performed by medical practitioners in sterile operating conditions under local anaesthesia, thus cutting out the backstreet cowboys.