A 37-year-old Ugandan woman has been convicted for female genital mutilation (FGM) of her three-year-old daughter in a trial at Old Bailey in the United Kingdom. This landmark case marks the first-ever conviction of such a crime since FGM was criminalized in 1985.
Evidence of witchcraft intended to deter social workers and police from investigating was found at the woman’s home. The prosecutor said that she had instructed her daughter to lie to the police in order to avoid arrest. The woman’s 43-year-old partner was acquitted in the case. [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”24″]There is no evidence that FGM is rare.[/perfectpullquote]
She faces up to 14 years in jail for her crime.
Some Disturbing Facts
Many people understand female genital mutilation as analogous to male circumcision. While the male procedure can have negative effects on penis sensitivity, they are not comparable. FGM involves amputation of the clitoris and much of the sensitive skin in the female genitals. The male equivalent would be a penis amputation. It causes severe bleeding, is extremely painful, and often results in death from infection or blood loss.
The clitoridectomy does not merely make a woman less sexually sensitive; it often causes chronic pain or discomfort, especially during intercourse. Despite the growing influence of postmodernism, it is still politically acceptable to describe this procedure by its proper name: barbaric. However, do not be surprised if cracking down on this misogynistic practice soon will be deemed “racist” by the radical left because no culture is better than any other.
A Single Conviction?
The observant reader may have balked at the fact that it took a whopping 34 years for someone to be convicted since its criminalization. Part of the story is that in 2003, British lawmakers strengthened the law, making it equally illegal to conduct the mutilation abroad. Despite this, it took another 16 years before anyone was convicted of the crime.
There is no evidence that FGM is rare. Among some ethnic groups, the rate of mutilation is close to 100%. In 2017, the BBC reported that the National Health Service (NHS) in England had documented 5,391 new cases in a single year. Almost half involved girls and women living in London. In 112 cases, the girls were born in the U.K., but none resulted in conviction.
Moral Failure
The disastrously low conviction rate is a testament to the moral failure of the British government. The U.K. has pledged to give $64 billion in aid to stop FGM in Africa but has allowed the practice free rein in its own backyard.
The reason is not lack of evidence but lack of courage. As in the case of the appalling Muslim sex grooming rape gangs permitted to roam freely for decades, mutilators have been given a free pass, and probably for the same reason: fear of being called racist.
The sad truth is that the sexual health of thousands of young girls has been sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. We can only hope that a morally castrated British people finally have reached a point where they stiffen their will and put an end to the shameful practice of female genital mutilation.
