BMJ 2013;347:f6672 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f6672 (Published 5 November 2013)
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Doctors are key to securing the UK’s first conviction for female genital mutilation, say campaigners Sophie Hives-Wood BMJ
Doctors who find evidence of female genital mutilation (FGM) should treat it as a crime and report it to police, a coalition of health organisations has recommended.
The coalition said that a government funded awareness strategy was needed, similar to that launched in the 1990s to tackle HIV, to prevent the genital mutilation of young girls. Doctors and other health and care professionals should be held responsible for monitoring female genital mutilation and treating it as child abuse.
Female genital mutilation has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985, but there have been no prosecutions for it to date. The campaigners said that taking an aggressive multiagency and multiprofessional approach to identifying cases of female genital mutilation will lead to more prosecutions and that the practice will become less of a “hidden phenomenon.”
The Intercollegiate Group, which includes the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal College of Midwives, makes nine recommendations to protect young girls at risk of female genital mutilation, which it defines as those whose mothers or sisters have been mutilated or who live in the same household as them.1 These include empowering frontline health professionals by developing their competence, knowledge, and awareness to ensure prevention of female genital mutilation in those at risk. Keir Starmer QC, the director of public prosecutions, said in a foreword to the report, “Health and social care professionals have a pivotal role to play in identifying, sharing information and reporting cases of FGM. It is through identifying women who have already gone through this barbaric and painful procedure that we can better help to prevent potential victims in the future—their female babies—from having to undergo the same practice. By reporting and sharing information, the necessary safeguarding strategies can be put in place and, when there are concerns that a child is at risk, the right action can be taken.”
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
The report says that there are 66 000 women living in the UK who have undergone genital mutilation and that a further 23 000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk. Over three months in 2013 the NSPCC, which runs a national FGM helpline, received 102 calls relating to girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Of these, 38 were referred to police for further investigation. In May, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it was examining five cases of alleged female genital mutilation as part of its effort to try to finally bring the first successful prosecution for the offence in the UK.2 But there have been no prosecutions so far.
The report says that female genital mutilation is child abuse and must be integrated into all UK child safeguarding procedures in a systematic way. Janet Davies, the Royal College of Nursing’s director of nursing, said, “All health and social care professionals have a responsibility to do all they can to identify and prevent this abuse. This important guidance makes it clear that nurses, midwives and doctors must work with the police, teachers and social services when they have concerns.” Starmer added, “Through working together closely with the police, health and social care professionals and the third sector, we are now in a much better place to have a successful prosecution against those who perpetrate this practice. It is only a matter of time before this happens and this will send a very powerful message that FGM is a crime that will not be tolerated.” 1
2
RCM, RCN, RCOG, Equality Now, Unite (2013). Tackling FGM in the UK: Intercollegiate recommendations for identifying, recording and reporting. London: Royal College of Midwives. Nov 2013. www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/FGM_Report%20v10%20a~final% 20forwebsite.pdf. Torjesen I. First UK prosecution for female genital mutilation moves a step closer. BMJ 2013;346:f2981.
Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f6672 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2013
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Doctors are key to securing the UK’s first conviction for female genital mutilation, say campaigners Sophie Hives-Wood BMJ
Doctors who find evidence of female genital mutilation (FGM) should treat it as a crime and report it to police, a coalition of health organisations has recommended.
The coalition said that a government funded awareness strategy was needed, similar to that launched in the 1990s to tackle HIV, to prevent the genital mutilation of young girls. Doctors and other health and care professionals should be held responsible for monitoring female genital mutilation and treating it as child abuse.
Female genital mutilation has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985, but there have been no prosecutions for it to date. The campaigners said that taking an aggressive multiagency and multiprofessional approach to identifying cases of female genital mutilation will lead to more prosecutions and that the practice will become less of a “hidden phenomenon.”
The Intercollegiate Group, which includes the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal College of Midwives, makes nine recommendations to protect young girls at risk of female genital mutilation, which it defines as those whose mothers or sisters have been mutilated or who live in the same household as them.1 These include empowering frontline health professionals by developing their competence, knowledge, and awareness to ensure prevention of female genital mutilation in those at risk. Keir Starmer QC, the director of public prosecutions, said in a foreword to the report, “Health and social care professionals have a pivotal role to play in identifying, sharing information and reporting cases of FGM. It is through identifying women who have already gone through this barbaric and painful procedure that we can better help to prevent potential victims in the future—their female babies—from having to undergo the same practice. By reporting and sharing information, the necessary safeguarding strategies can be put in place and, when there are concerns that a child is at risk, the right action can be taken.”
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
The report says that there are 66 000 women living in the UK who have undergone genital mutilation and that a further 23 000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk. Over three months in 2013 the NSPCC, which runs a national FGM helpline, received 102 calls relating to girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Of these, 38 were referred to police for further investigation. In May, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it was examining five cases of alleged female genital mutilation as part of its effort to try to finally bring the first successful prosecution for the offence in the UK.2 But there have been no prosecutions so far.
The report says that female genital mutilation is child abuse and must be integrated into all UK child safeguarding procedures in a systematic way. Janet Davies, the Royal College of Nursing’s director of nursing, said, “All health and social care professionals have a responsibility to do all they can to identify and prevent this abuse. This important guidance makes it clear that nurses, midwives and doctors must work with the police, teachers and social services when they have concerns.” Starmer added, “Through working together closely with the police, health and social care professionals and the third sector, we are now in a much better place to have a successful prosecution against those who perpetrate this practice. It is only a matter of time before this happens and this will send a very powerful message that FGM is a crime that will not be tolerated.” 1
2
RCM, RCN, RCOG, Equality Now, Unite (2013). Tackling FGM in the UK: Intercollegiate recommendations for identifying, recording and reporting. London: Royal College of Midwives. Nov 2013. www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/FGM_Report%20v10%20a~final% 20forwebsite.pdf. Torjesen I. First UK prosecution for female genital mutilation moves a step closer. BMJ 2013;346:f2981.
Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f6672 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2013
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
