Amina Noor, a 39-year-old woman of Somali descent from Harrow, northwest London, has been found guilty of her involvement in the female genital mutilation (FGM) of a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya in 2006.
The landmark conviction at the Old Bailey represents the first of its kind and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.
Noor travelled with the child to Kenya and took her to a private residence where the FGM procedure was carried out. The crime remained concealed for years until the victim, at the age of 16, confided in her English teacher at school.
Noor said she feared being “disowned and cursed” by community members if she did not help.
Senior crown prosecutor Patricia Strobino said: “This kind of case will hopefully encourage potential victims and survivors of FGM to come forward, safe in the knowledge that they are supported, believed and also are able to speak their truth about what’s actually happened to them.
“It will also send a clear message to those prospective defendants or people that want to maintain this practice that it doesn’t matter whether they assist or practise or maintain this practice within the UK, or overseas, they are likely to be prosecuted.”
She added: “Part of the challenge of this type of offence is the fact that these types of offences occur in secrecy.
“Within specific communities within the UK, although these offences and practices are prevalent, it’s often very difficult to get individuals to come forward to explain the circumstances of what’s happened to them because there was a fear that they may be excluded or pushed away or shunned, isolated from their community.”
According to UN figures, 94 percent of females of Somali origin living in Kenya undergo FGM.
