A woman from Harrow, London, who was jailed for seven years for taking a three-year-old British girl to Kenya for female genital mutilation (FGM) has lost her appeal to reduce her sentence.
Amina Noor’s case marked a significant legal milestone as she was the first person convicted in the UK for facilitating FGM abroad under the FGM Act 2003.
Her lawyers argued that the sentencing judge did not fully grasp the cultural pressures she faced, but the Court of Appeal upheld her original sentence.
Noor’s actions came to light many years later when the victim, as a teenager, disclosed the ordeal to a teacher.
During her trial, Noor claimed she was coerced by threats of community ostracization if she refused to participate in what she described as a cultural tradition known as “Sunnah.”
The Court of Appeal judges emphasized the severity of the crime, describing the act as causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
They reaffirmed that a custodial sentence was appropriate given the circumstances, dismissing the argument that cultural context had been inadequately considered during sentencing.
This case underscores the challenges in balancing cultural sensitivities with legal responsibilities in cases of FGM. It also highlights the long-lasting impact of such practices on victims and the legal repercussions faced by those involved in facilitating them, even across international borders.
(Source: BBC News)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ngz2redmdo