First conviction for female genital mutilation in UK secured

First conviction for female genital mutilation in UK secured

A woman who mutilated her three-year-old child has become the first person in the UK to be convicted of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The Ugandan woman, 37, from east London wept at her trial in the Old Bailey. Her 43-year-old partner was acquitted.

Prosecutors said she coached her daughter “to lie to the police so she wouldn’t get caught”.

But the defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied committing FGM.

Mrs Justice Philippa Whipple warned the woman she faced a lengthy jail term as she was remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.

FGM is the practice of altering the female external genitals for non-medical reasons. People found guilty of performing it can be imprisoned for up to 14 years.

Lynette Woodrow, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the “sickening” offence was committed against a victim who had “no power to resist or fight back”.

“We can only imagine how much pain this vulnerable young girl suffered and how terrified she was,” she said.

“Her mother then coached her to lie to the police so she wouldn’t get caught, but this ultimately failed.”

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