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UK Enacts Law to Prosecute Moslems Who Take Daughters Abroad for Female Circumcision
People who take their daughters abroad to undergo genital mutilation could be jailed for up to 14 years from today. The Female Genital Mutilation Act, which came into force recently, reinforces existing legislation and closes a loophole by making it unlawful to take girls abroad for genital mutilation whether or not it is legal elsewhere. The maximum sentence has been increased from 5 to 14 years in jail. It is estimated that 74,000 women in the UK have undergone the procedure. A further 7,000 girls under the age of 16 are at risk. Women who have undergone some forms of genital mutilation are twice as likely to die in childbirth as those who have not. They are also four times more likely to give birth to a stillborn child. Home Secretary David Blanket said no cultural, medical or other reason can justify a practice that causes so much pain and suffering. "Regardless of cultural background, it is completely unacceptable and should be illegal wherever it takes place," he said. The Government is backing the legislation with £30,000 of funding. The investment will support an information campaign amongst the practising communities. An estimated 135 million of the worldâs girls and women have undergone genital mutilation. It has been illegal in the UK since 1985. Ann Clywd MP introduced the Female Genital Mutilation Bill as a private memberâs bill in December 2002, which the Government gave its strong backing. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-04-09 |
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