Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/LONDON: A woman appeared in a London court facing charges of assisting a resident in the genital mutilation of a four-year-old girl, the risky practice common in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Mideast.
Thirty-nine-year Amina Noor, who sought a Somali interpreter, pleaded not guilty to the offence dating back 16 years when the alleged victim was just age four.
UK trial
According to the AFP, Amina, who hailed from Harrow in northwest London, faces the single charge of assisting a non-UK resident to mutilate female genitalia while abroad.
The victim, who has not been identified for legal reasons, is now aged 20 and a British citizen.
The trial could take place in October, a Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey in central London was told.
The practice of genital mutilation is common in some African, Asia, and Middle Eastern countries and involves partial and total removal of a young girl’s clitoris or labia.
The procedure, also known as “female circumcision,” is carried out often under unsterile conditions, and it can lead to severe complications.
The World Health Organization says that more than 200 million women and girls have been subjected to the practice.
The female genital mutilation is illegal in the UK and several other countries. It is also a criminal offence in the UK and residents are barred from performing or helping others perform it overseas.
The practice is a punishable offence with a maximum of penalty of 14 years in prison.
