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A LONDON COURT has acquitted a doctor of carrying out female genital mutilation (FGM), the first such case to be prosecuted in Britain.
Dhanuson Dharmasena, 32, said he was “extremely relieved” after a jury at Southwark Crown court found him not guilty after only 30 minutes of deliberations.
He was accused of performing an FGM procedure on a woman who gave birth at his hospital in 2012 following damage caused by labour.
The woman, who was 24 at the time, first underwent FGM at the age of six in Somalia. The doctor carried out the procedure again when her stitches tore during childbirth.
Critics questioned why the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had chosen such a marginal case as its first FGM prosecution.
Defence barrister Zoe Johnson said her client had been “hung out to dry and made a scapegoat” for hospital failings.
“I have always maintained that FGM is an abhorrent practice that has no medical justification,” Dharmasena said in a statement after the verdict was returned.
Another man, Hasan Mohamed, 41, who translated for the woman in hospital, was also cleared in the two-week trial of aiding and abetting Dharmasena.
Prosecutors said the doctor performed a procedure “against the policy of his employer” — Whittington Hospital in north London — and that it was not “medically necessary”.
Mohamed’s lawyer, Ali Hussain, called the case a “show trial”.
“My client strongly believes this case was nothing more than a show trial — an effort by the CPS to regain some confidence after failing to bring a prosecution despite FGM laws being in place since 1985.”
About 100 million to 140 million girls and women globally are thought to have undergone FGM, which ranges from removal of the clitoris to more widespread mutilation, and can lead to infection and severe long-term pain.
Government figures indicate that tens of thousands of women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM.
Anti-FGM legislation was extended in 2003 to make it an offence for British nationals or permanent residents to carry out or seek FGM abroad, even where it is legal.
The maximum penalty is 14 years in jail.
- © AFP 2015.
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Horrible practice.
Same with circumcision. Although not as bad it denies the right to body integrity when performed on a child as they can’t consent.
In truth, the horrible practice is that of prosecutors who witch hunt for show trials with an intention of making a name for themselves, while real crimes are ignored.
This was not FGM, it was a doctor trying to do his job who found himself to be a victim of racial profiling.
Sick and barbaric ritual. Must never be tolerated here either in Ireland.
And would we ever know if it is happening in Ireland because generally it is done in a back-street fashion by witch-doctors in a barbaric voodoo-like ceremony.
But with unregulated immigration who knows….
often it happens during long summer vacations in a home country of the parents when the girls reach the age.
Another disgusting and warped custom that nobody in this world needs.
I’m a man. I didn’t read the article, like simphiosity (can’t spell it) I just can’t even bear to read the stories or watch reports on it. Wtf is wrong with some people?
Another well informed journal commenter so…
I don’t know what purpose it serves to carry out such act,what a sickening ritual.
The purpose is to control women! It’s barbaric and cruel!
That woman should be ashamed of herself . this doctor had just delivered her baby safely and he was only ‘fixing ‘ the damage that had already been done to this poor woman years ago !
The woman didn’t want to press charges (it was a criminal case, initiated by the police, rather than a civil case, initiated by the woman.) It never should’ve seen the courtroom.
But somebody in that labour ward room reported him to the authorities.
In cases where a woman with FGM tears during childbirth or has an episiotomy unfortunately there’s no other way but to revise the scar; sometimes they can repair it but that’s dependent on the grade of FGM performed in the first instance.
Think he may have been used as a scape goat.
Correct, Eoin. The case was only brought because pressure was put on the CPS to do so as none had been brought since the criminalisation of the procedure in the 80s. Total farce.
Eoin , thanks for that !
Nearly 2,000 cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) were identified in England from September 2014 to December 2014, according to statistics. UK is the FGM capital of Europe.
Male circumcision although not as barbaric but equally needs to be banned as a gross interference with bodily integrity
Who are the people red thumbing?
Eh, you……it would seem!!
FGM is just plain wrong, as far as I can see but a woman having her arse enlarged on a popular TV show is somehow OK! Someone please wake me from this media chloroform.
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