British Woman Found Guilty in Landmark Female Genital Mutilation Case
In a historic legal verdict, a British woman, Amina Noor, 39, has been found guilty of assisting in the female genital mutilation (FGM) of a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya in 2006. This conviction marks the first of its kind under the Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2003 and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.
Noor, originally from Somalia and residing in Harrow, northwest London, traveled to Kenya with the child and took her to a private house, where the girl underwent FGM, also known as female circumcision or cutting. The crime remained hidden for years until the victim, now 21 years old, confided in her English teacher when she was 16. For legal reasons the identity of the victim has not been revealed.
The case shed light on the secrecy surrounding FGM, as these practices often occur within specific communities, making it challenging for victims to come forward due to fear of exclusion or isolation. According to figures from the United Nations, 94% of women of Somali origin residing in Kenya undergo FGM.
During the trial, Noor explained that she was compelled to participate due to community pressure and feared being "disowned and cursed" if she refused. She believed that the procedure, which she referred to as "Sunnah" meaning tradition in Arabic, was a cultural practice that had endured for generations. She claimed not to have known the extent of the procedure that would be carried out, claiming that she thought the procedure was a needle inserted into the genitalia to draw blood, not to remove it.
The conviction sends a strong message that those involved in FGM, whether in the UK or overseas, are likely to face prosecution. Patricia Strobino, a senior crown prosecutor, hopes this case will encourage other victims and survivors of FGM to come forward, knowing they will be supported and believed.
In response to this landmark case, FGM campaigners are calling for updated statistics on the number of women and girls affected in England and Wales to address the root causes of this issue more effectively. Outdated figures from 2014 estimate that 137,000 individuals have been impacted by FGM in the UK. Nimco Ali, an FGM survivor and co-founder of the Five Foundation, emphasizes the importance of working together to address the issue at its core, ensuring that no more girls are subjected to this harmful practice.
