CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Partnership Team Detective Constable Jason Morgan
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Project Azure Female Genital Mutilation
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Senegal Gambia Iran Guinea-Bissau Sierra Leone Liberia Mauritania Mali Malaysia Cote D’Ivore Burkina Benis Togo Nigeria Chad Niger Djibouti Iraq Central African Republic UAE Egypt Sudan Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia Kenya Sudan Tanzania Uganda Pakistan Indonesia Kurdish Communities
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Indicators - FGM maybe about to happen… Family from a practicing community; Extended holiday, particularly to a practicing country; Child is going to “become a woman” or have a “special celebration”; Child may begin to display a behavioural change……
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Indicators - FGM has already taken place… Girl may spend long periods of time away from the classroom associated with bladder or menstrual problems; The child requiring to be excused from physical exercise; Prolonged absences from School plus a noticeable behaviour change…..
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND THE LAW Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 Penalty – 5 years imprisonment Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 Penalty – 14 years imprisonment
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND FGM Act 2003 Offence to commit FGM [S1] Offence to assist a girl to commit FGM on herself [S2] Offence for someone in the UK to arrange or assist FGM outside of UK even if carried out by a person who isn’t a UK national or resident [S3] Any act done outside UK by UK National or resident [S4]
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND The Law – the technical bits! NO AGE LIMIT - ‘Girl = woman’ Defence = If it is a surgical operation necessary for physical / mental health Mental health does not include belief that FGM is required as a matter of custom or ritual ‘Designer Vagina’
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND There have been NO prosecutions under FGM legislation in the UK…
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Some Barriers to Reporting… Children are unlikely to ‘tell on their parents’ Many from loving / caring families Once in a lifetime event Honour Based Community Acceptance / Marriage Victim’s maybe too young to remember Language / Immigration status Unaware of the law Lack of understanding of health implications
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Summer is for Fun… …Not for Pain!
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
London Safeguarding Children’s Board FGM Resource Pack National Information & Resources Signposting for additional support Specialised information for Health Available On-line / Hard Copies Complement the GEO FGM Factsheet Suitable for practicing communities
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND
Project Azure Prevention campaigns Awareness & Training Advice & Guidance Intelligence opportunities Partnership working Stop FGM Now! (DVD)
CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION COMMAND Thank you for listening… Any questions?