You've GOT to watch newsnight tonight shocker on FGM

[Screwfox]

Watch this bloke justify it.
Are you a scratching?!

Full report on later apparently.

not going to be able to watch it but lurking on this thread

Unfucking believable. I'm actually speechless at that.

Isn't it. I like her "I've had a clitoris for 60 years"

Words fail me :-(

Me too. Speechless

This is just awful.

I knew it happened but that box with the tags and the razors... Horrific.

I hold my hands up and admit I know very little about this, I know what it is but I've not actually thought through the process IYSWIM. What shocked me (and its due to my ignorance) is the fact this is carried out by women on girls, family cutting children/grandchildren. Seeing those blades, used, knowing they gag and restrain fucking 5 yr olds? I just can't comprehend the absolute barbarity of this. On children. It makes me feel physically sick, listening to those women talking about the numbers of girls they cut/brutalise, talking about tradition, smiling as they describe how fucking brave those 5 yr olds are.

I didn't watch Newsnight.

What I find really shocking is that there doesn't seem to have been any prosecutions for FGM in this country.

We are told that children are routinely taken back to the parents homeland to undergo FGM yet no one seems to notice in this country. Surely wounds like that wouldn't heal in the 6 weeks available in the longest school holiday?
What about the cases that go wrong. Do medical practitioners over here ever report this abuse?

It's a genuine question because we must enforce the law on FGM. I just get the feeling that we turn a blind eye.

Not seen this tonight, but have seen many documentaries over the years.

We have a huge African population at Dd's school and I do often wonder about the young girls. I often wonder if there is anything I can do...I doubt it :(

There are prosecutions in this country. There isn't as many as what there should be however. There are many powers that police and other agencies have to intervene with this, and emergency steps can and do take place to stop this from happening. There is also specialist help and advice for the girls to have after fgm .
The met police have a dedicated project for fgm. There is something specifically in the child protection legislation that covers fgm, and what action should be taken, so if schools did notice or have concerns, they have protocol in place, people do notice, it's just for some reason this isn't a topic that seems to be in the public eye. Legislation has been in place since 1985 for female mutilation and since 2005 there has been the fgm act.

I didn't watch the program so I am unsure if any of the above has been mentioned, nor if it was mentioned that in some cultures, the age is immaterial and older girls are also affected.

What the hell?

I recently heard some very good advice to give to girls who fear they may be taken abroad for FGM is to stick a spoon in their pants. This will set off the metal detector in the airport and give the girls a chance to talk to officials who can prevent them leaving the country.

I couldn't watch it, I got an error message.

The YouTube clip that is, not Newsnight.

Ihearsounds

According to here dated 7 Jul 2013 the Crown prosecution have yet to bring any prosecutions for FGM in the UK.

So a law which has been in existence for a considerable period has not been enforced.

Law is useless if you don't intend to punish those who break it.

I didn't manage to catch the newsnight report but listened to the article on women's hour that day highlighting the newsnight report.
FGM is so horrific and it is appaling what girls and women go through this.
This must stop. I really hope campaigners can make a difference.
It made me think of Chinese foot binding; girls died from infection caused by the horrific practice and it did affect women all their lives. I dont know enough about either; but what made public opinion change in china for this mutilation to stop? Could it work with FGM?

Unlike foot binding it's not visible. It's also non-PC to go around inspecting..... so it remains hidden.

But health care workers must routinely see cases and why oh why if, as Ihearsounds states, that we legislated against this 27 years ago!!!! have we never actually prosecuted anyone?

You need to make a stand through public prosecution and its consequent publicity.

It's an absolute disgrace that we are too to stop this happening.

Unbelievable.....the levels of sheer ignorance of biology and medicine. Itchy clitoris?! Leaking fluids....I don't know any woman who complains about this...are we all exceptions?

It's not even islamic. like, at all it is some backwards tribal African custom that has spread, I know plenty of muslim women and not one from the middle east has had it done, none of the asians have had it done, none of the turkish/russian/etc. the only muslim women I know who have had this done to them are older and from Africa.

They have told me that nothing in Islam condones this.

I also understand there have never been any prosecutions for it. Didn't see the program but have seen many and had training on it.

I am sure it must go on locally and we are just pussyfooting around because it's not PC to check girls bits at any age just because they are from an at risk cultural background. No idea how, otherwise we can prevent/detect without lining the girls up annually and looking.... but then again that would be " abuse" wouldn't it? and actually the poor girls who are really at risk/have been cut would wither not appear at school, ever, or would be mysteriously poorly on the day of the check ( because you'd have to get permission from the parents, in advance..)

So whilst I have training and high levels of suspicion I have no idea how we are really going to change things?

Loving the "spoon in pants" plan. That needs to be made public and maybe the finding of the spoon in a girls pants a simple " we are detaining this child" without anything else being said!

Oh how ridiculous. He's just an ignorant idiot who sees fit to tell women how it feels to have a clitoris

Theas, girls are checked as far as I am aware in some areas of the country. Also it is noted when women deliver, and children are considered at risk if the woman has been a victim.
That is as I understand it, I would love to have the facts confirmed.

What I don't understand is why Mothers that have had this done to them and therefore know the pain, the dangers and the total wrongness (is that even a word?!) of fgm, still put their daughters through it. Why?! why, why, WHY?!!!

Do you honestly believe that women have any say at all in that sort of society?

They don't.

They do what they are told to do.

By the men.

Hey everyone,

Popping on to post a link to the full Newsnight report (of which the link above is a clip); thought it might be of interest. WARNING - it's quite distressing (though not graphic).

No WetAugust but there are a lot of African women that live over in the UK, but return to Africa for the holidays and bring their daughters back missing a part of their body. What I'm saying is why do these Mothers allow it to happen when they have been through it themselves (I'm assuming they didn't volunteer to have it done to themselves) and have chosen to become British Citizens and live here.

Just to add, I now have a lot of African friends and I'm still trying to summon up the courage to ask the question! My Dd's best friend is of African parents and I have to say that I'm terrified for her...her Mum is though, quite westernised in her approach and her life, but her Mother is not.