Let's Hope For A Succesful Prosecution.

[-Talbot-]

https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk/status/1030156093933137920

[Tilly2]

Indeed.

[ummmm]

We can live in hope.

[fiction-factory]

Agreed, if found guilty- which I hope is the case assuming the Met/CPS haven't messed up. There haven't been enough prosecutions- in fact have there been any successful ones?

[jourdain2]

Really hope and pray that this is successful. I'm not sur, but I think they have messed up with technicalities on others. A successful prosecution and a salutary sentence could save a lot of girls and send a powerful message.

[marval]

I agree, it is time that practice is stopped.

[-Talbot-]

I'm really hoping that the powers that be have decided a well-publicised conviction and prison sentence is the way forward.

[webbo3]

Its been illegal since 1985 and not one successful prosecution.

[kvalidir]

Yes! I certainly hope so.

[fiction-factory]

I recall that in the most recent case there was a difficulty in getting a medical consensus on whether FGM had definitely occurred. I realise some may feel it's difficult to get a medical opinion that is completely objective in some cases

[mushroom25]

just playing devil's advocate - in sub Saharan African culture, an uncut female is unmarriageable. so by denying female circumcision, are the authorities not perpetrating an article 8 contravention for the child?

[Mamyalynne]

Let's hope this sends out the message this won't be tolerated.

Glad they've been remanded in custody and not bailed.

[-Talbot-]

Found a non-twitter link

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/girl-3-needed-emergency-surgery-after-fgm-in-london-a3914076.html

Surely a successful prosecution shouldn't be too difficult.

[jourdain2]

Thank you Talbot, horrible though it is.

[Old_Geezer]

If they live in the Met, mush, hardly applicable.

[Deskdiary]

"just playing devil's advocate - in sub Saharan African culture, an uncut female is unmarriageable."

We are not in sub-Saharan Africa.

We are a sophisticated Western country which recognizes that butchering a female is wrong.

If backward people want to mutilate women I'd rather they continued this barbaric practice in their toilet countries.

It has no place in Europe - they are disgusting.

[-Talbot-]

I just want to see what happens when it is removed.

[Gromit]

The last FGM trial failed not because of lack of medical consensus, it failed because there was no evidence FGM had occurred.

// A judge at Bristol crown court halted the trial of the 29-year-old when he ruled that he had no case to answer. Judge, Julian Lambert, said that elements of the prosecution including the medical evidence and the testimony of the Integrate UK worker were troubling. The jury was ordered to return a not guilty verdict. //

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/23/uk-fgm-trial-father-failed-case-intolerable-pressure

Hopefully the evidence in the new prosecution will be more robust.

[anotheoldgit]

If successful let us hope many more will follow.

It would be nice to think that they will get the message and this uncivilised practise will cease, but seeing the number that have taken place with no convictions, I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Sqad]

Yes.....indeed FGM is abhorrent.
However trauma to female children is not that uncommon e.g blunt injuries as in straddling and the symptoms of bleeding, bruising and blood in the urine will always make the diagnosis of FGM either extremely difficult or impossible.
Prosecutions will be rare.

[rowanwitch]

It is hard to change such ingrained cultural practices. What we don't want is young girls taken on holiday to countries where it is commonplace and we have no chance of control. I do hope this time the parents can be found guilty and punished appropriately. I also would like to see proper medical checks on girls returning from 'holidays' by either school doctors or clinics. Not the family doctor who may be part of the same community.