Genital mutilation risk highest now

Young women from London’s African communities are most vulnerable to genital mutilation during the early part of school summer holidays, the Metropolitan Police warned last week.

It said this was the most likely time for communities which practise female genital mutilation to send daughters to countries of origin or administer mutilation in the UK, to ensure the lengthy recovery occurs over the school break. The practice is illegal in the UK.

Most mutilation is carried out in communities from 28 African countries.