Casualty

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Did anyone watch? What did you think to the FGM story-line?

[Giraffeski]

I just couldn't stop thinking that I'm sure I've seen that maternity top on three separate pregnant characters! Perhaps the budget doesn't stretch to different costumes for different characters.

[Giraffeski]

Just realised what FGM stands for- sorry, didn't mean to be flippant! Still watching on catch up

[Pixel]

I guessed that was why she didn't want to get on the plane and why the mum didn't want to be examined, but I thought the older girl had maybe already been cut and was worried for her little sister. Firstly because I thought they tended to be younger when mutilated (easier to subdue presumably) and secondly because they made a bit of a point of the younger one being all excited about her 'holiday' and going on the plane.
Horrible story but I'm glad they did it because it often seems we are all supposed to pretend it isn't going on under our noses.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

I think it's really positive that they've covered the issue on mainstream tv. As Casualty covers everyday drama it makes it seem less 'other' IYSWIM?

The clip for next week looks like the younger daughter has undergone FGM at home and has hemorrhaged, girls often die from FGM so I wonder if they will kill her off and then show the mother being prosecuted to hit it home that it's illegal? not that there's ever been a single prosecution in this country

[Pixel]

Well it made me sad and angry that even when people like medical staff know it's going on they have to fabricate some story if they want to help someone, for fear of offending. Why is that? It is illegal, why the pussyfooting around? It makes me sick.
Not blaming the doctor/nurse in this story btw. They clearly know the law will not back them up and are doing what they can. It's just so wrong on every level.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

I would have thought that the right thing to do would be to have called social services. Maybe it's going to cover what they should have done next week?

[Pixel]

I thought about social services but there have been cases where they won't interfere because of 'culture' so I wouldn't have much faith tbh.
Besides, the children in this case probably wouldn't speak up because they don't actually want to be taken away from their families, they just want to not be mutilated (and the younger one obviously had no idea what was in store for her anyway). Unless we have some system of checking that girls have not been harmed then nothing is going to happen.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

They would have to interfere legally, but yes, it would be unlikely the girls would speak out against their own mother. I can't make my mind up over the checking genitals thing, I think it's a violation, but at the same time, like you, I can't see any other way to safeguard girls.

[Pixel]

It is a violation I agree, but not a physical one in the same sense as FGM. It's potentially an embarrassing experience (we have lots of those in our lives for our own good, smear tests etc), but the alternative is so horrific I can hardly bear to think about it.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Haven't seen yet but fgm is :(

But again good that casualty tackles this as it does sadly happen

[Italiangreyhound]

I've only seen a clip of the Casulty episode.

I think FGM is appalling.

Can I ask Pixel why you think checking to see if girls have been mutlilated would be violation? It's a strong word to use and I just wonder why the use of that word?

I've looked at the dictionary definition of violation and I can't see that for a medically trained person to check that a child's gentiles were intact would be a violation.

www.thefreedictionary.com/violate

I also think that if there were checks made then actually just the knowledge that girls could be checked would help to stamp out the practice of parents taking girls abroad to be mutilated. I think the girls themselves would be thankful for this in the future.

This is just my opinion. I do not mean to offend anyone.

[Italiangreyhound]

Sorry, I meant to ask HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds the same question.

It is a genuine question.

I am asking because I have had many smear tests and I don't see them as a violation, they are to keep me safe.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Not necessarily a physical violation as I expect the girls wouldn't actually need to be touched, but a violation of privacy.
It's more the singling out of young girls of certain ethnic minorities for genital checking seems a bit of a degrading practice and I'm not sure how effective it would be in the long term.

Obviously I can see the arguments for it but I think that putting the emphasis on parents abandoning the practice is more effective in the long term. Checking girls would definitely put people off doing it until they reached a certain age, but I don't think it would deal with the reasons why people do it.

I say until they reach a certain age, as I would assume that after 16 the checks would have to be voluntary, and girls are not going to report their parents for cutting them as they won't want to send them to prison. Plus FGM is often a prerequisite for marriage, so I think that people would just wait to cut their daughters later in life.

[Pixel]

I used the word because I was agreeing with Hungryclocks and it was the word she used, and really what young girl wants to even be looked at 'down there' by a stranger? The checks would have to be compulsory otherwise no parent would ever submit their child so the child would have no choice, then what do you do if the child is reluctant? I'm not saying the child would be physically hurt in any way but in some cases it could be an unpleasant experience for all concerned.
Smear tests are not the same. For a start we are older, we can see the reason for it and we choose whether we have it done. We get a letter 'inviting' us for a smear test which I think says it all.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Part two tonight, 9.10pm

[Piemother]

Is anyone watching? I'm bracing myself for this

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Oh I'm crying

[Bossybritches22]

Didn't see last weeks but sat transfixed, thought they handled it very well, given the time frame.

As an ex nurse I usually am a bit about some of the storylines but tonights was very powerful.

Particularly liked the way they captured the chaos of A& E (or ED as it is now) with smoking patients & a fire (false) alarm in the midst of it.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

last week just sort of eased into it really

[HeavenlyYoni]

Very good episode. Bit of karma for the dirty doc too.

[Titsalinabumsquash]

We just watched it, its horrific and anyone that forces this practice on their child should be punished by law. Those poor children. It didn't seem to highlight the reasons much for it being done, an anyone explain? Good o Casualty for bringing it to light, yes the storylines are shockingly far fetched in some areas but it's good to see them tackling something like this.

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Reasoning for FGM differs in each practicing community, it can be thought to be necessary to be part of some religions (though no religious script calls for it), used to curb a woman's sexual desire so she will remain faithful to her husband, to preserve virginity, some communities also believe it to make birth less dangerous and that it can cure thrush/UTIs. It's often a coming of age ritual and in practicing communities, uncut girls/women are denied the same privileges as those who have undergone FGM and often ridiculed and ostracized to the point that they willingly undergo FGM.

[HeavenlyYoni]

What did they mean exactly when they said Mum was 'closed'. Had she had her Yoni stitched up?

[HungryClocksGoBackFourSeconds]

Yes, it's called infibulation, the external genitals are cut away and the whole area is stitched up with just a tiny hole left for urine and menses.

It has to be cut open to allow for childbirth and is usually stitched up again afterwards.

[BriansBrain]

If that is the case how did the lady became pregnant?

If the hole left is tiny.