UK Woman Charged For Taking Girl, 3, To Kenya For Genital Mutilation

A British woman, Amina Noor, aged 39, has been convicted for accompanying a three-year-old British child to Kenya for the purpose of female genital mutilation.

She is the first person to be found guilty of aiding a non-UK individual in carrying out such an act.

In 2015, the girl child now a young woman of 21 years old disclosed to a schoolteacher that she had been a victim of FGM, leading to the involvement of the police.

As reported by the BBC, in 2019, after an assessment at University College Hospital, it was determined that the girl had undergone a complete removal of her clitoris.

Allegedly in 2006, Noor, hailing from Harrow in north-west London, transported the child to a private residence for the procedure.

She, along with another woman, had transported the child in a tuk-tuk vehicle and had been instructed to remain outside a house. According to her account, her expectation had been that the girl's genitalia would only be subject to a procedure that would induce bleeding.

Court Proceedings

During her testimony at the Old Bailey, Noor explained that the mutilation was performed for cultural purposes and that it was a practice she had personally experienced as a child.

Nonetheless, the prosecution argued that the jury could confidently conclude that the defendant was aware that an act of FGM was to take place, regardless of whether it entailed the removal of the girl's clitoris or some other type of physical harm lacking any medical justification.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC stated that Noor had consistently refused to admit to police that she had been coerced or threatened into consenting to the procedure.

"She was questioned on three separate occasions about potential threats and each time, she asserted that there were no threats," Ms Heer explained.

However, in her defence, Noor contended that her motivation stemmed from the fear of facing social exclusion and curses from her community if she did not comply with handing over the girl.

Noor is scheduled to receive her sentencing on December 20, with a maximum possible sentence of 14 years.

What Is FGM?

According to the World Health Organisation, female genital mutilation encompasses all procedures involving the total or partial removal of external female genitalia or inflicting other injuries on female genital organs without medical justification.

This practice offers no health benefits to girls and women and can result in severe bleeding, difficulties with urination, as well as subsequent issues like cysts, infections, childbirth complications, and an increased risk of newborn deaths.

Internationally, FGM is recognised as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It underscores deeply entrenched gender inequality and represents an extreme form of discrimination against females. Typically, it is performed on minors by traditional practitioners and is a breach of children's rights.

FGM Statistics

The United Nations has set a goal to eliminate female genital mutilation, a practice still prevalent in various regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, by the year 2030.

UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, approximates that at least 200 million women and girls in 31 countries are living with the consequences of this practice. These consequences can include severe bleeding or, in some cases, fatality, as well as enduring pain during sexual activity and complications during childbirth.

The agency points out that Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda collectively account for nearly a quarter of all global cases of female genital mutilation. Often, girls are transported across borders to Kenya in an attempt to avoid legal prosecution in their home countries.

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