A British police force has suggested it has no particular interest in prosecuting parents who force their daughters to undergo female genital mutilation.
West Midlands Police (WMP) said “educating and safeguarding” are how it will police the barbaric procedure – rather than trying to punish people for it.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been illegal in the UK for more than 30 years, and carries sentences of up to 14 years in prison.
A 2015 academic study estimated that there are more than 137,000 victims of the procedure in the UK, and hundreds of referrals are made to the police every year. WMP has acknowledged that its own area is a hotspot for the crime.
(Pictured above – women in Somalia, where FGM is extremely prevalent – learn about the process)
But nobody has ever been successfully prosecuted for FGM, suggesting that there is not much appetite among law enforcement officials to tackle the issue.
A tweet sent Sunday night from the official WMP account seemed to confirm that attitude.
The message – later deleted, but preserved in screenshots – claimed that officials deliberately avoid prosecuting guilty parents because it would affect their children.
Police officials wrote: “…education and safeguarding vulnerable girls is the focus. Prosecuting/jailing parents unlikely to benefit child.”
The stance was attacked by an MEP for the United Kingdom Independence Party, who called on the police force to reaffirm their commitment to tackling the problem.
Margot Parker said: “There has not been a single successful prosecution in the UK on FGM – the institutional failures are clear for all to see and I would hope WMP is committed to rectifying those failures and protecting vulnerable women and girls from those who would abuse them in this awful way.
“I want WMP to confirm its intention to vigorously enforce the law when it comes to FGM.”
After criticism on social media, the police removed their earlier tweet and posted an updated response. It said: “to be clear we will arrest and bring prosecutions against those committing FGM.”
Heat Street contacted West Midlands Police to find out why the original message was posted and deleted – but we have yet to receive a response.