About time !
Two men first to be charged in UK under FGM Act
First prosecutions under Female Genital Mutilation Act in case relating to 2012 procedure at Whittington hospital in London
Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent
theguardian.com, Friday 21 March 2014 11.38 GMT
Two men are to be charged in the first UK prosecutions under the Female Genital Mutilation Act, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced.
Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena and Hasan Mohamed will be charged when they appear before magistrates at Westminister magistrates court next month. The case relates to a medical procedure performed on a patient at the Whittington hospital, in north London, in 2012.
Announcing the decision, Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, said: "The CPS was asked to consider evidence in relation to this allegation of female genital mutilation (FGM) by the Metropolitan Police Service. "It was alleged that following a patient giving birth in November 2012, a doctor at the Whittington Hospital, in London, repaired FGM that had previously been performed on the patient, allegedly carrying out FGM himself.
"Having carefully considered all the available evidence, I have determined there is sufficient evidence and it would be in the public interest to prosecute Dr Dhanoun Dharmasena for an offence contrary to S1 (1) of the Female Genital Mutilation Act (2003).
"I have also determined that Hasan Mohamed should face one charge of intentionally encouraging an offence of FGM, contrary to section 44(1) of the Serious Crime Act (2007), and a second charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Dr Dharmasena to commit an offence contrary to S1 (1) of the Female Genital Mutilation Act (2003). These decisions were taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors."
The identity of the patient has not been revealed. Dr Dhamasena and Hasan Mohamed will appear at Westminster magistrates court on 15 April.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/21/fgm-female-genital-mutilation-men-charged