CHAPTER 17: Female Genital Mutilation (LAST REVISED AUGUST 2011) |
AMENDMENTS
Section 1.1 was amended in March 2010, by the addition of references to the availability of the FGM factsheet.
This chapter was further amended in August 2011 with the addition of a link in Section 6, Further Advice, to the non-statutory government Multi-Agency Guidelines on Female Genital Mutilation (issued in February 2011).
Contents
1. DEFINITION
| 1.1 | Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a collective term for procedures which include the removal of part / all external female genitalia for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. Please also see the Government Equalities Office factsheet on Female Genital Mutilation. |
| 1.2 | The practice is not required by any major religion and is medically unnecessary, painful and has serious health consequences at the time it is carried out and in later life. |
| 1.3 | The procedure is typically performed on girls aged between 4 and 13, but is also performed on new born infants and on young women before marriage / pregnancy. A number of girls die as a direct result of the procedure, from blood loss or infection. |
| 1.4 | Girls may be circumcised or genitally mutilated illegally by doctors or traditional health workers in the UK, or sent abroad for the operation. |
2. LAW
| 2.1 | Female circumcision, excision or infibulation (female genital mutilation) is illegal in this country by the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, except on specific physical and mental health grounds. See the Home Office website. |
| 2.2 | It is an offence to:
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3. RECOGNITION
| 3.1 | Any medical provision for a pregnant woman who has herself been the subject of female genital mutilation provides the opportunity for recognition of risk and preventative work with parents. |
| 3.2 | A child may be considered at risk if it is known older girls in the family have been subject to the procedure. Pre-pubescent girls 7 to 10 are at highest risk, though the practice has been reported amongst babies. |
| 3.3 | Suspicions may arise if a family is known to belong to a community in which FGM is practiced and is making preparations for the child to take a holiday, arranging vaccinations or planning school absence and the child may refer to a 'special procedure' taking place. |
| 3.4 | Indications that FGM may have already occurred include:
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4. RESPONSE
| 4.1 | Any suspicion of intended or actual FGM must be referred to Children's Social Care, in accordance with the Referral and Assessment Procedure. |
| 4.2 | Children's Social Care, must inform the police CAIU at the earliest opportunity and convene a strategy meeting within 2 working days if:
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| 4.3 | A service manager who has attended female genital mutilation training or a child protection adviser / senior manager should chair the Strategy Meeting. Health providers or voluntary organisations with specific expertise should be invited. A legal advisor should be invited or consulted prior to the meeting on the options, which could be considered to protect a child. |
| 4.4 | In planning any intervention it is important to consider the significance of cultural factors. FGM is generally performed because of the significance it has in terms of cultural identity. Any intervention is more likely to be successful if it involves workers from, or with a detailed knowledge of, the community concerned. |
| 4.5 | Under the Children Act 1989, possible legal proceedings could include a Prohibited Steps Order (s. 8) with or without a Supervision Order (s.35). Removal from home should be considered only as a last resort. |
| 4.6 | If the child has already suffered female genital mutilation the meeting will need to consider carefully whether to continue enquiries or whether to assess the need for support services. |
| 4.7 | Female genital mutilation is a one-off event of physical abuse (albeit one that may have grave permanent sexual, physical, and emotional consequences), not an act of repeated abuse and organisational responses need to recognise this. |
| 4.8 | A 2nd strategy meeting should take place within 10 working days of the first meeting, with the same chair. This meeting must evaluate the information collected in the enquiry and recommend whether a child protection conference is necessary. |
| 4.9 | A girl who has already been genitally mutilated should not normally be the subject of a conference or the subject of a protection plan unless additional concerns exist, though she should be offered counselling and medical help. Consideration must however be given to any other female siblings at risk. |
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| 4.10 | A girl believed to be in danger of FGM may be made the subject of a Child Protection Plan, under the category of risk of Physical Abuse, if the criteria are applicable including the need for the future protection of the child. |
| 4.11 | The main emphasis of work in cases of actual or threatened FGM should be through education and persuasion. This approach will be reflected in the Child Protection Plan. |
5. PREVENTION
| 5.1 | Agencies should work together to promote a better understanding of the damaging consequences to health (physical and psychological) of FGM. |
| 5.2 | Wherever possible the aim must be to work in partnership with parents and families to protect children through parents' awareness of the harm caused to the child. |
6. FURTHER ADVICE
| 6.1 | Useful contacts are:
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| 6.2 | Please also see the non-statutory government Multi-Agency Guidelines on Female Genital Mutilation (issued in February 2011). |
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