Family Solicitors

A specialist clinic dealing with cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) has seen its youngest case of FGM in London, involving a three-year-old girl.

The clinic was launched in the capital by University College Hospital (UCH) doctors Dr Deborah Hodes – a consultant paediatrician – and her colleague Professor Sarah Creighton, a consultant gynaecologist. The FGM clinic is the first of its kind in the UK.

The clinic offers medical care and psychological help to FGM victims – the oldest patient attending the clinic was just 17, say the doctors.

The clinic opened at UCH three months ago and most of the girls aged below 18 who attend the clinic had undergone type 4 FGM, which involves burning as well as cutting or scarring.

The monthly clinic is staffed by doctors, psychotherapists and play specialists, to help girls overcome the trauma of FGM.

Prof Creighton said that children who had undergone FGM need to be treated “in the right setting”.

“They need a more comprehensive approach,” she said.

“Children shouldn’t be seen in adult clinics – they need to be seen in children’s clinics where they have play specialists and come to the paediatric ward.”

The Evening Standard newspaper reports that figures published on Wednesday (26/11/14) by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that in October, there were 802 active FGM cases in London – and 217 cases which were newly identified. The figures represent a small decrease on figures for September.

The Evening Standard was praised for raising awareness of the practice of FGM in London by Health Minister Jane Ellison during a visit to the UCH FGM clinic.

Ms Ellison said the government wanted to continue the progress made in tackling FGM in the UK – the practice is illegal in Britain, but the NHS estimates that around 66,000 girls and women living in the UK have undergone FGM.

The procedure deliberately injures the external sexual organs of a female and is usually carried out by female relatives of the girl before she reaches puberty – as many as 20,000 girls below the age of 15 may be at risk of FGM, which the NHS says often happens during the school holidays when a girl can be taken to her family’s home country to undergo the procedure outside Britain.

Many girls are cut in the UK, however – but as the procedure is “secret”, it is difficult to estimate the numbers.

David Cameron has vowed that the government will eradicate FGM in the UK – anyone who suspects a girl may be at risk of FGM is asked to report it to the police or social services.

Ms Ellison said:

“We all have that sense of astonishing momentum, with great support from the Evening Standard and other people as well.

“Now we want to keep that momentum up.”


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