Female genital mutilation: 3000 Londoners at risk

A shocking report from a leading BME women's organisation suggests that more than 3,000 girls in London are at risk of genital mutilation every year.

The report, produced by Imkaan and came out on Friday to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, found that around each year, 3,500 baby girls in the capital are born to mothers who have suffered female genital mutilation (FGM), an increase of 65 percent in the past decade.

Female genital mutilation is a criminal offence in the UK, and it is unlawful to take a child overseas to have the procedure performed. Yet, to date, there have been no prosecutions.

The report, entitled 'The Missing Link: A Joined-Up Approach to Addressing Harmful Practices in London', also highlighted other issues affecting young women, including domestic abuse and forced marriages.

The report also noted that hundreds of women could fall victim to forced marriage every year. The Forced Marriage Unit dealt with 330 cases of women and girls at risk of forced marriage in London last year.

The group calls for all school teachers to be trained to help vulnerable girls who are facing violence and for Prime Minister David Cameron to take action.

Marai Larasi, director of Imkaan, said,

It is not acceptable that in 2011 many girls and women living in Britain face extreme, violent threats to their safety and even to their lives. These issues are neglected because of fears of being labelled at best culturally insensitive and at worst racist. There would be outrage and a national scandal if this were happening to little white girls. Every girl should be protected, no matter her background.

The report's authors said girls from African families, as well as Afghan, Turkish, South Asian, Kurdish, Arab and Irish traveller families are among those who could be at risk, and stressed that education for health professionals is needed to tackle "a dangerous postcode lottery of support services for girls and women should they try to find help".