Amina Noor, a 39-year-old woman, has been convicted in the UK for facilitating female genital mutilation (FGM) on a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya 17 years ago. This is the first such conviction under the 2003 FGM Act, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years.
Noor was found guilty of assisting a non-UK person in performing FGM on the girl. The crime was discovered when the victim, at age 16, confided in her teacher about the incident, revealing that her clitoris had been completely removed.
Prosecutors argued that Noor encouraged and aided in the FGM, casting doubt on her claim that she expected a minor procedure involving drawing blood. Noor, who moved from Somalia to Kenya before coming to the UK, stated that she was threatened with being "cursed" and "disowned" within her community if she did not participate.
This landmark conviction sends a strong message against the secretive practice of FGM, with hopes that it will encourage victims and survivors to come forward, knowing they will be supported and believed.