The parents of a child have been convicted of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the first case of its kind in Ireland.
The married couple, a 37-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, pleaded not guilty to the charges of carrying out FGM and for child abuse. They are originally from Africa, however cannot be named to protect the identity of the child.
Judge Elma Sheehan sentenced the child’s father to five and a half years in prison and the child’s mother to four years and nine months imprisonment.
At the time of the event, the accused father attended hospital with his daughter who was experiencing bleeding and told Detective Inspector Danny Kelly that the child had fallen back on a toy according to the Irish Times.
However, medical professionals were of the view that the injuries the child sustained were not accidental and that the explanation was not credible.
Gardaí were notified after the event and carried out an investigative search of the home where no blood was found on the toy they claimed to be responsible for the accident.
According to the HSE, FGM is the “total or partial removal of the external female genitalia” and that the practice is recognised as a “human rights violation of women and girls”.
The World Health Organisation states that 200 million girls and women have been affected in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated.
The reasons for this is that it is believed to increase their likelihood of getting married and that there is a social pressure to conform to what is perceived as normal in these countries. It is believed that the purpose is to reduce a woman’s libido and therefore prevent sex before marriage.
The WHO recognises three types of FGM: The first known as clitoridectomy where the clitoris is partially or totally removed, the second known as excision which the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora and the third known as infibulation which is the narrowing of the opening of the vaginal canal by creating a seal.
FGM can be considered as a type of circumcision however since there is of no health benefit, which is the case in some male circumcisions, and can result in severe bleeding, it is considered illegal in Ireland.
Male circumcision is most commonly known in the Jewish faith as the Hebrew Bible commands Jews to circumcise their sons on the eight-day. Male circumcision is known to have some benefits, for example, it is used when the foreskin is tight and won’t pull back, which can be painful and unhygienic. Most non-medical circumcisions are done on young children.
Since male circumcisions don’t result in the same bleeding as females, there are no laws against it, however some people are critical of circumcising young children when there is no medical reason behind it and most people only condone it when the child is of an age to make the decision themselves.
The WHO is currently working to eradicate FGM in many countries however it still happens in most countries but is unknown unless it results in infection or bleeding which results in people visiting the emergency departments.