The first suspect who was found guilty of female circumcision in the United Kingdom has now been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The court holds the 37-year-old Ugandan woman responsible for the genital mutilation of her daughter in their home in London, the BBC reports .
The judge spoke about a “barbaric and nauseating” crime. The motives of the mother, who has been living in Britain for years, remained a mystery during the process.
During the trial, the woman claimed that her daughter had fallen on metal in the summer of 2017 while packing a biscuit. This would have her genitals torn. She said to an agent that her then three-year-old daughter did not wear any underwear at the time.
The case came to light after the child was taken to the hospital. That sounded alarm about the injuries of the girl who had lost a lot of blood. When police officers searched for the mother, they found evidence that she had tried to thwart research with witchcraft.
Acquittal in previous cases
It is the fourth time that a case about genital mutilation came to court. Previous cases had led to acquittal.
Genital mutilation in women is the partial or complete removal of the labia or clitoris, also known as female circumcision. In about thirty countries this is a use, mainly in Africa.
Especially young girls are the victim of this form of mutilation. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) writes that this is mainly done from the conviction to prepare girls for adulthood and to ensure pure femininity.
Harmful effects include bleeding, problems with relief, infections and infertility. It also leads to complications in births and more stillborn children.
It is estimated that over 125 million girls and women live with the consequences of female circumcision.