Excerpt:
A report has slammed the “national scandal” of the UK failing to prosecute a single child abuser committing or enabling female genital mutilation (FGM), saying it shows the system is failing to fight the practice, which is associated with some migrant groups.
The document, produced by the Quilliam Foundation, claims “Britain remains alone in Europe in its inability to prosecute FGM” and examines different explanations, including “a lack of witnesses”, “cultural sensitivity”, and the “existence of legal loopholes”.
It highlights figures showing that, in 2016-2017 alone, 5,391 new cases of FGM were recorded in the UK, but authorities failed to bring a single perpetrator of FGM to justice.
Altogether, around 9,000 women sought National Health Service (NHS) help because of the practice in that 12 month period.