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Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an extremely harmful crime against women and girls involving intentional altering of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It may have devastating health consequences. Performing, or assisting in the performance of, FGM in the UK or by taking a child abroad carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years in the UK.1–3 However, there has yet to be a successful prosecution for FGM in the UK.
On 31 October 2015, section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 came into force. This legislation introduced a new duty on healthcare professionals4 to report cases of FGM in girls under the age of 18 years. The duty on the regulated professional is mandatory and …
Footnotes
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Contributors AR carried out the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request. AR and FG drafted the first draft of the letter. AR, FG, SF, SS, DH and SC revised the first draft of the letter. AR, FG, SF, SS, DH and SC contributed to the revised letter and response to the reviewer's comments.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.