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CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Partnership Team
Detective Constable Jason Morgan
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Project Azure
Female Genital Mutilation
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Senegal Gambia Iran
Guinea-Bissau Sierra Leone
Liberia Mauritania Mali
Malaysia Cote D’Ivore Burkina Benis Togo Nigeria
Chad Niger Djibouti
Iraq Central African Republic UAE
Egypt Sudan Eritrea
Ethiopia Somalia Kenya Sudan
Tanzania Uganda
Pakistan Indonesia
Kurdish Communities
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Indicators - FGM maybe about to happen…
• Family from a practicing community;
• Extended holiday, particularly to a practicing country;
• Child is going to “become a woman” or have a “special celebration”;
• Child may begin to display a behavioural change……
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Indicators - FGM has already taken place…
• Girl may spend long periods of time away from the classroom associated with bladder or menstrual problems;
• The child requiring to be excused from physical exercise;
• Prolonged absences from School plus a noticeable behaviour change…..
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
THE LAW
Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985
Penalty – 5 years imprisonment
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
Penalty – 14 years imprisonment
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
FGM Act 2003
Offence to commit FGM [S1] Offence to assist a girl to commit
FGM on herself [S2] Offence for someone in the UK to
arrange or assist FGM outside of UK even if carried out by a person who isn’t a UK national or resident [S3]
Any act done outside UK by UK National or resident [S4]
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
The Law – the technical bits!
• NO AGE LIMIT - ‘Girl = woman’ • Defence = If it is a surgical
operation necessary for physical / mental health
• Mental health does not include belief that FGM is required as a matter of custom or ritual
• ‘Designer Vagina’
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
There have been NO prosecutions under
FGM legislation in the UK…
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Some Barriers to Reporting…Children are unlikely to ‘tell on their
parents’Many from loving / caring familiesOnce in a lifetime eventHonour Based Community Acceptance / MarriageVictim’s maybe too young to rememberLanguage / Immigration statusUnaware of the lawLack of understanding of health
implications
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Summer is for Fun……Not for Pain!
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
London Safeguarding Children’s Board
FGM Resource Pack •National Information & Resources•Signposting for additional support•Specialised information for Health•Available On-line / Hard Copies•Complement the GEO FGM
Factsheet•Suitable for practicing communities
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Project Azure
•Prevention campaigns•Awareness & Training•Advice & Guidance•Intelligence
opportunities•Partnership working•Stop FGM Now! (DVD)
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Thank you for listening…
Any questions?
020 7161 2888
