Mother gets 11 years in first FGM conviction in Britain

A woman has been jailed for 11 years, becoming the first person in Britain to be convicted of female genital mutilation (FGM) in a landmark case, the media reported. Speaking at the Central Criminal Court on Friday, Justice Philippa Whipple found the 37-year-old Ugandan woman guilty of cutting her three-year-old daughter, the Guardian reported.

An additional two years were added to her sentence for possessing indecent images and extreme pornography. Justice Whipple said it was not known why the woman inflicted FGM on her child, although witchcraft was a possibility.

"It's a barbaric practice and a serious crime. It's an offence which targets women, particularly inflicted when they are young and vulnerable," she said. The woman and her Ghanaian partner, 43, both from Walthamstow, east London, were accused of cutting their daughter in 2017. The man was cleared of involvement following a trial.

The victim has told trained officers that she had been cut by a "witch". Police searched the woman's home, finding evidence of witchcraft, including "spells" written inside frozen limes and two cow's tongues. Research by London's City University estimated 1,37,000 women and girls are living with FGM in England and Wales.

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