First UK FGM conviction shows police commitment to pursue those responsible

She is the first person in the UK to be convicted of the crime.

Commenting on the verdict, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for FGM, Commander Ivan Balhatchet, said: “Female genital mutilation is a severe form of abuse inflicted by the people children should be able to trust the most. It has a devastating impact on women and girls and has no place in a civilised society.

“We have always been clear that prosecutions alone will not stop this abuse, however this guilty verdict sends a strong message that police will make every effort possible to pursue those committing this heinous crime.

“This is the first successful prosecution for FGM in the UK and it reinforces our commitment to work with health, education, social care, affected communities and others to do more. I ask anyone with concerns or information to share it with us. We will treat each individual case sensitively and confidentially.”

The conviction comes months after UK and US law enforcement sign an intelligence sharing agreement to tackle FGM.