More than 1,000 reports of female genital mutilation (FGM) have been logged by the Metropolitan Police over the last decade - but just two have resulted in criminal convictions.
New data released by mayor Sadiq Khan’s office has revealed that some 1,069 reports relating to the crime were submitted to the Met between January 2015 and July this year.
But in only two of the cases has the perpetrator been brought to justice, partly due to the difficulty of pursuing a crime which may have taken place several years ago and often in another country.
The data appears to show a substantial rise in reports this year compared with last, with 121 offences logged between January 1 and July 10 this year. This is up from the 78 reports received in the whole of 2023 - though City Hall cautioned that “direct comparisons cannot be made” due to the adoption of a new crime recording system by the Met in February this year.
The mayor’s team added that the figures were “not necessarily offences that have taken place but are crime reports in which a safeguard flag has been applied to either highlight specialist support is needed, manage a risk by raising it with partnership agencies, or to raise a potential connection between a crime or an incident that might have occurred”.
In February this year, for the first time in the Met’s history, officers were able to secure justice for an FGM victim where the crime occurred abroad.
“This was a complex and sensitive case that came to light after the victim confided in a teacher almost 12 years ago,” the mayor’s office said. “The defendant was sentenced at the Old Bailey Crown Court to seven years’ imprisonment.”
That case was only the second time in UK history that somebody had been convicted of FGM since it became illegal in 1985. The first was in February 2019, when the mother of a three-year-old victim was sentenced to 11 years for FGM offences.
The data on the issue was requested by Unmesh Desai, a Labour member of the London Assembly.
He said: “FGM is a form of misogynistic violence that has no place in London in the 21st century. Those who perpetrate it should face consequences for their actions - regardless of when or where it was carried out.
“We know that there are challenges to this - often the violence happened several years ago or was done overseas. However, there are times when police can and do prosecute other forms of violence against women that happened a long time ago successfully, such as cases of childhood sexual exploitation.”
Naana Otoo-Oyortey, executive director of the Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD), said FGM “remains a hidden form of abuse, as such data on incidents in London cannot be routinely collected by the Met Police”.
She added: “The 2015 FGM Serious Crimes Act introduced a duty on regulated professionals including healthcare, teachers and social care workers to report to the police known cases of FGM found in girls under 18 years.
“While these cases may often be historic cases of FGM, they aim to support those affected and protect girls within their families.
“However, because this data is not shared with FGM specialist support services, vulnerable girls at risk and their families are not adequately protected from FGM. This needs to be rectified to ensure maximum protection for girls.”
In a statement following the second ever conviction of the crime in February this year, Met detective superintendent Andy Furphy, whose team led the investigation, said: “Our mission is to prevent FGM from taking place, working with local communities and expert health partners to achieve this and safeguard vulnerable children.
“We know FGM can be a taboo subject, which is rarely discussed within families and communities – we must build trust with those impacted so we can protect victims. It’s not our job to judge and we will always remain sensitive and respectful.”
He added that he hoped the latest sentence would “act as a real deterrent to those who choose to harm children in this way” and that the Met will “use this result as an opportunity to continue to raise awareness of this topic, ensuring victims know that there is support and help out there”.
For Mr Desai, who represents the City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Barking and Dagenham at City Hall, the issue cannot be separated from the fact that “many women in London do not have trust or confidence in the police to deal with their cases properly - and these low rates of conviction do nothing to challenge that belief”.
The assembly member warned: “The Met, courts and justice system must do everything in their power to prosecute these cases so that we can make it clear: FGM has no place in London. This must include world-class victim care, helping FGM survivors through the criminal justice process.
“I am grateful to survivors and advocates who lend their voices to call for change. I want to see more done to raise awareness of FGM, particularly in schools.
“We know that victims of FGM can often be very young, so it is important that we make it clear to all young women that they should not be subject to it - and that there are places to turn to if they think their families, communities or partners expect it of them.”
