Waris Dirie welcomes the verdict: "This is a clear warning to all!"
Waris Dirie welcomes London verdict.
Coincidence? A hint of fate? Just one day after we launched our "EndFGM" campaign, a London court sentenced a woman to 11 years in prison for genital mutilation for the first time in Britain's history!
The 37-year-old mother from Uganda circumcised her then three-year-old daughter in 2017. Completely bizarre: The woman stated in court that her daughter had contracted the injuries when she fell on a piece of metal. She had also tried to prevent the police and social workers from investigating with voodoo rituals. Cow tongues wrapped with wire and pierced with screws were found in the woman's apartment (we reported).
But for Judge Justice Whipple, the case was clear. She described the incident as a "barbaric" crime. "To make that clear," she added, "Female genital mutilation is a form of child abuse." Waris Dirie welcomes the ruling: "It is a clear warning to all who actually believe that in Europe you can mutilate little girls with impunity".
Our campaign, which was developed in collaboration with the British label Coco de Mer and star photographer Rankin (see photo on the left), gets a tailwind from this judgement. The aim is to collect 10 million signatures worldwide to raise awareness of female genital mutilation. Because FGM is not a culture. No tradition. No religion. FGM is a cruel crime against children. It's child abuse. The verdict in London has finally made this official!
