FGM conviction: about goddamn time

lucasisking

Mum guilty of girl's genital mutilation

Woman who had her three-year-old mutilated becomes first person convicted for FGM in UK

Most shocking thing about this is in the headline: the first person to be convicted, despite thousands of cases.  Absolutely abhorrent practice for which there should be (and always should have been) zero tolerance.

Lusankya

This is a huge win, but as you say terrible it has taken so long.

EarthRod

Having lived in East Africa for many years I know FGM is common practice and accepted as part of a ritual. Has been carried out for thousands of years.

Removal of the male foreskin (circumcision) is also part of a ritual in many countries.

Of course if either of these operations are carried out by an amateur or done incorrectly then serious complications can develop.

Sonic67

Something that's passing through parliament. It was blocked by the same chopper who blocked the upskirting bill.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/christopher-chope-fgm-bill-blocked-details-explained/

Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill [HL] 2017-19 — UK Parliament

Sir Christopher Chope MP.

IronGiant

So has hanging, but both are illegal in this country, unlike male circumcision.

Lusankya

Are you suggesting FGM and circumcision are comparable?

blackrod

I don't understand the need for either to be honest. FGM seems particularly barbaric though.

rustybin

There is absolutely no comparison.

Unless you happened to have an agenda, obviously.

lucasisking

I'm not convinced that there's a 'professional' or 'correct' method of cutting off the labia & clitoris of a little girl, and sewing up her vagina.  There is no benefit for her and a huge array of negatives.

I do know that in some cultures such as Somali the idea is that the husband gets to break open the sewn-up vagina with his penis, when he rapes his bride for the first time.  The bloody bedsheets are proof of the girl's virginity.

In any case, the main point is it's illegal here and girls under the protection of UK law deserve justice.  Good to see it being done in this instance.

IronGiant

There are many medical reasons for male circumcision and it used to be done routinely in the UK along with tonsils and adenoids (in both sexes) to prevent possible issues in later life.  None of these are routinely done for preventive medical reasons in the UK these days.  There have never been any medical reasons to mutilate a woman's genitalia.