IN an historic legal ruling, a woman from Harrow, north-west London, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for her involvement in facilitating female genital mutilation (FGM) on a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya. Amina Noor, aged 40, was found guilty last year of aiding a non-UK person in carrying out the procedure overseas nearly two decades ago, marking a significant milestone in UK law enforcement’s efforts to combat FGM.
Presiding judge Justice Bryan, delivering the sentence at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court), condemned the crime as ‘truly horrific and abhorrent,’ emphasising the importance of justice for the victim. He expressed hope that the victim’s bravery in coming forward would inspire others to report similar incidents.
Speaking outside the courthouse, London’s Metropolitan Police Detec
tive Superintendent Andy Furphy stated, ‘I hope today’s sentence acts as a real deterrent to those who choose to harm children in this way.’ He highlighted the importance of using
the case to raise awareness and provide support for victims.
Noor’s conviction sets a precedent as the first person in the UK to be found guilty of taking someone abroad for FGM, underscoring the severity of the crime and the determination to hold perpetrators accountable under the law. She is only the second individual in the UK to be convicted under the FGM Act of 2003, following a similar case in 2019 involving a Ugandan woman from Walthamstow, east London.
Noor’s involvement in the crime dates back to 2006 when she travelled to Kenya with the toddler and subjected her to FGM in a private house. The incident remained undisclosed for years until the victim, now 16, confided in her English teacher, leading to the revelation of the crime.
During sentencing, Noor detailed the societal pressures and threats she faced within her community, highlighting the complex dynamics surrounding the practice of FGM and the challenges in breaking free from entrenched cultural norms.
Addressing the court, Noor described the procedure as ‘Sunnah,’ meaning ‘tradition’ or ‘way’ in Arabic, and claimed it was a cultural practice that had persisted for generations. However, medical examinations revealed the irreversible harm suffered by the victim, contradicting Noor’s assertions.
The sentencing serves as a significant deterrent against future instances of FGM and aims to raise awareness about the issue. Outside the Old Bailey, Detective Superintendent Furphy emphasised the importance of supporting victims and raising awareness to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future.
