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Nearly 6,000 New Cases of Female Genital Mutilation in England


Guest Mauro

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Guest Mauro

The first ever FGM figures show nearly 6,000 new cases in England

The first ever recorded figures for female genital mutilation (FGM) show that between April 2015 and March 2016 there were 5,702 new cases in England.

The data was recorded by doctors and nurses who have been obliged to do so since July 2015.

Most of the women and girls were born in Africa and underwent the procedure there. But 43 girls were born in the UK and 18 of those had it done here.

The data was collected from the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The true extent of the abuse is thought to be much higher with the government estimating 170,000 women and girls in the UK have undergone the procedure.

It says a further 65,000 girls under the age of 13 are at risk of female genital mutilation.

Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have not collected any figures on FGM.

It's hoped the data will provide an idea of how to tackle the abuse, which is illegal in the UK.

Public Health and Innovation Minister Nicola Blackwood told Newsbeat: "FGM devastates lives, and we are committed to ending this abusive practice.

"Too often FGM is a hidden crime so to help us do this, we must know the scale of the problem which is why we are collecting data on FGM across the NHS.

"This means we can protect those at risk, provide support to survivors and ultimately end this crime once and for all."

No-one has ever been convicted of carrying out female genital mutilation

"It's very hard to prosecute because you're asking a child to go into court and testify against their parents," FGM campaigner Hibo Wadere explains.

"These parents aren't actually abusers in their mind, they think what they're doing is good for their daughters. so the children don't see this as child abuse."

Hibo was six when she was held down and cut. Read her full story.

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Hibo now educates children about FGM

DCI Leanne Pook is involved in tackling FGM in her force in Avon and Somerset.

She's only had a handful of potential FGM cases in six years.

"I think what we have to do is work alongside communities so that we get intelligence about where FGM is happening, when it is happening and who is carrying out the FGM.

"That's the stuff investigations are made of and that's what we're getting far too little of."

Campaigners argue that all schools should teach students the facts of FGM in sex and education classes

FGM survivor and now campaigner Hibo Wadere holds sessions on FGM with students in schools.

"Education is the key point in eradicating FGM because they are young minds. These are the future leaders, these are the ones that need protecting."

The government says it's up to individual head teachers to decide whether children get taught about it.

Many girls are taken to their family's home countries during the summer holidays so that FGM can be carried out

FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985 and the law was strengthened in 2003 to prevent girls travelling from the UK and undergoing FGM abroad.

In Somalia in eastern Africa, FGM is legal and 95% of women there have undergone the procedure.

The new data shows Somalia accounts for more than a third of all newly recorded women and girls with a known country of birth.

Other countries with a large volume of cases include Eritrea in eastern Africa, the Sudan in northern Africa and Nigeria and the Gambia in western Africa.

Kam Thandi from the children's charity NSPCC says most calls to its helpline regarding FGM are made in July.

"It's a perfect opportunity for young people who are being forced to undergo this procedure, to have the procedure, and also heal by the time they come back to this country and re-engage with school."

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Facts about FGM

  • FGM is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons
  • It is illegal in the UK and classed as a form of child abuse
  • Around 10,000 girls under 15 who have migrated to England and Wales may have undergone FGM
  • If you need any help or support on FGM, you can contact the NSPCC's FGM helpline 0800 028 3550

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36838870/the-first-ever-fgm-figures-show-nearly-6000-new-cases-in-england

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Yet again, complete disregard for the rights of women with this practice. Something that never ever should have been a practice and the fact it still is in some countries is alarming, disgusting and barbaric. How awful that these families have come to the UK for a new life and yet are taking their daughters back to their home countries in school holidays to be mutilated like this just so they can't enjoy sex in the future. So horrible to think about, poor girls.

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This is such an ugly side of our times. Unfortunately it's their culture, traditions, religions and even superstitious mentality which I must say runs wild in certain ethnic groups. But how can you help these people? And what about male circumcision? That seems to be more accepted as it's practiced in Judaism and Islam. Maybe it's not seen as bad as it's done when they're newborns but still...

I'd say in these cases education is the key. And women should be more supportive of each other; as I can't believe a mother would let that happen to their own daughters... At least in the UK and I'm sure in all the western countries it's forbidden.

Seems like all the West cares about is money, money, money; by now we should have made a true impact in the world by shining a light on these things and promote a culture of freedom, well being and equality for everybody. Unfortunately this is of no interest to the everyday person so once again problems like this will always get overlooked.

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Guest Rachelle of London

Yup. There was a Somali girl at my school who had it done and one day she had a terrible accident in PE and was hospitalised for weeks. Quite a few girls at school had it done actually. It's dreadful.

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wow!

But are they done in the UK or when they travel with their parents to their countries?

In Spain we have a very, vey severe control about it and all the girls whose parents are from countries where female mutilation is a tradition, are examined before their holidays and after their holidays. All doctors, medical workers from school, etc, must inform to the Police if they detect any case, and the parents are judged.

Other thing that is working incredibly well is that women from those very countries are volunteers in hospitals and whenever a new girl is born, and her parents are from those countries, they get into the room and try to talk to the mother about the danger, pain and consequences of the rite. They invite not only the mother, but the father too, to gatherings to explain just how problematic it is for the girls. I made an article about it and these women told me that those women who have suffered that ablation don't even know that many problems they are having is because of the mutilation. The husbands don't know that the woman gets hurt during the sexual intercourse because of the ablation too.

Does the UK have any regulation? Those numbers are so incredibly high!

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Yet again, complete disregard for the rights of women with this practice. Something that never ever should have been a practice and the fact it still is in some countries is alarming, disgusting and barbaric. How awful that these families have come to the UK for a new life and yet are taking their daughters back to their home countries in school holidays to be mutilated like this just so they can't enjoy sex in the future. So horrible to think about, poor girls.

The thing is that they think they are doing what is good for the girls, because in their very culture, those girls who aren't mutilated will never have a husband and will end up being pariahs. If they ever come back to their country after spending several years in UK or wherever, they will have many problems at home.

So the education has to be not only in our countries, but in their original countries.

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Guest Rachelle of London

They travel back home to have it done. Or there's illegal places they get it done. There was a mosque in Birmingham doing it and charging people loads. It's not legal in the UK.

And yes we have the same with newborns in this country as well. It's so bad certain hospitals in areas with a high Muslim population won't even tell you the sex of your baby as so many terminate the child if it's a girl. If you want to find out what you're having you have to go private.

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Bring your food, your fashion, your language, but leave the rest at the border crossing. If that's asking too much, stay in your country or find another one that likes to reconfigure female genitals, marry girls off at 9, ETC.

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They travel back home to have it done. Or there's illegal places they get it done. There was a mosque in Birmingham doing it and charging people loads. It's not legal in the UK.

And yes we have the same with newborns in this country as well. It's so bad certain hospitals in areas with a high Muslim population won't even tell you the sex of your baby as so many terminate the child if it's a girl. If you want to find out what you're having you have to go private.

Are girls examined before and after the holidays? And are parents charged if the girl comes back harmed?

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Guest Rachelle of London

Are girls examined before and after the holidays? And are parents charged if the girl comes back harmed?

If the parents are caught they'll go prison. It's illegal. But I doubt they'd examine girls before and after. They'd have to examine all girls if they started doing that not to encroach on any discrimination laws.

The number of cases must be similar in Spain and other EU countries as well. Especially after the increase in refugees from certain nations in the past 10/15 years. Those children will be teenagers now. And personally I think 6000 is too low of a number.

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It's not that simple. They think they are doing what is right for the daughter. You can' think in a colonial way with problems like this, but with practical ways to solve it.

Yes it's a failure of the immigration program to impress upon people the laws,values and attitudes of the settlement country.

You don't just go rearranging where the cutlery and plates go when you're a guest in someone's house.

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If the parents are caught they'll go prison. It's illegal. But I doubt they'd examine girls before and after. They'd have to examine all girls if they started doing that not to encroach on any discrimination laws.

The number of cases must be similar in Spain and other EU countries as well. Especially after the increase in refugees from certain nations in the past 10/15 years. Those children will be teenagers now. And personally I think 6000 is too low of a number.

We have like 40.000 women from those countries and right now there are 17.000/20.000 girls from those countries on risk, but there are not reports of the ablation having been made. I don't know how many times the Police has detect the ablation after they come back from the holidays. I wonde why we don't have data.

I don't find discriminating the protection of a minor if the parents belong to countries where more than 90% of the women suffer from that ablation. The law should change, because if the parents knew that the girl is going to be examined when they come back, they will think twice.

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Yes it's a failure of the immigration program to impress upon people the laws,values and attitudes of the settlement country.

You don't just go rearranging where the cutlery and plates go when you're a guest in someone's house.

You know perfectly what i mean. Simplistic answers won't solve anything. "they should, they should...". Some of these people come from little villages in under developed countries, instead of patronizing, it's far better to accept it happens and to find solutions especifically in the places where they live.

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You know perfectly what i mean. Simplistic answers won't solve anything. "they should, they should...". Some of these people come from little villages in under developed countries, instead of patronizing, it's far better to accept it happens and to find solutions especifically in the places where they live.

I'm serious, how are they to know what is expected in their settlement country if isn't explicitly told to them?

The Netherlands show prospective immigrants a DVD of topless sunbathers and two men kissing. I think that's great.

If it offends them, they can stay in their little village. I'd rather have the limited immigration spots taken up by people that are attracted to liberal values and don't want to simply recreate the backward society they came from while getting the perks of a generous welfare state.

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Guest Rachelle of London

We have like 40.000 women from those countries and right now there are 17.000/20.000 girls from those countries on risk, but there are not reports of the ablation having been made. I don't know how many times the Police has detect the ablation after they come back from the holidays. I wonde why we don't have data.

I don't find discriminating the protection of a minor if the parents belong to countries where more than 90% of the women suffer from that ablation. The law should change, because if the parents knew that the girl is going to be examined when they come back, they will think twice.

I agree 100% but it's the law. Don't know if it was covered in Spain but the Rotherham sex abuse scandal was "allowed" to carry on because the police/council didn't want to be seen as discriminating.

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Guest Rachelle of London

I'm serious, how are they to know what is expected in their settlement country if isn't explicitly told to them?

The Netherlands show prospective immigrants a DVD of topless sunbathers and two men kissing. I think that's great.

If it offends them, they can stay in their little village.

I highly doubt watching a video of 2 men kissing is going to change immigrants attitudes. Especially in the Netherlands where there is a huge cultural clash between religions. Those videos are clearly not working.

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wow, so sorry for those women....I know circumcision is some kind of mutilation as well and it is widely "accepted" but the mutilation on those women is more of an agression than something "religious",

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I'm serious, how are they to know what is expected in their settlement country if isn't explicitly told to them?

The Netherlands show prospective immigrants a DVD of topless sunbathers and two men kissing. I think that's great.

If it offends them, they can stay in their little village. I'd rather have the limited immigration spots taken up by people that are attracted to liberal values and don't want to simply recreate the backward society they came from while getting the perks of a generous welfare state.

I agree. I dont see the point to go from a backwardish country and to try and "recreate"it in your host country. If you have chosen NL it has to be because you love what it stands for.

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I agree. I dont see the point to go from a backwardish country and to try and "recreate"it in your host country. If you have chosen NL it has to be because you love what it stands for.

I absolutely agree. You can't have it both ways.

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Guest Rachelle of London

The way I see it. I wouldn't dare go to a country and disrespect their laws and customs. so I don't see why people go to other countries and try and enforce their way of living on everyone.

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I don't approve it at all!!!! Ablation is horrible! I mean that some things are horrifying for us but part of their core culture and only through lots of meetings both here and THERE can we do something. Especially there, because the ablations all over the world can be counted in MILLIONS.

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Change can happen with new generation. It's a cultural thing, the young generation that are here in UK will grow up not wanting this for their daughters. Don't put all these people in one box, a good change will happen.

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