Netherlands: Tougher approach on FGM

Netherlands: Tougher approach on FGM

Parents who have their daughter circumcised in their land of origin will be prosecuted and sent to prison. 

State Secretary Bussemaker (health) wants to end this practice with this tough approach.  She wants families who visit their land of origin to sign a contact which states that genital mutilation is criminal in the Netherlands.  Bussemaker is targeting in particular risk-countries, such as Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia, where this happens frequently.

The Labor State Secretary will consult with her Justice colleagues to successfully regulate the new approach.  a contract is according to her more useful than inspecting all girls who come back from a trip to risk countries, as argued by the VVD.

Bussemaker copied the new approach from France, where according to her many girls are kept from circumcision.  the number of complaints against parents who allowed or committed female circumcision in the Netherlands is small.  In the past three years, there have only been four complaints.  Between the summer of 2007 and the spring of 2008, there have been 44 reports about girls who ran the risk of being circumcised.  Bussemaker fears that these reports might be just the tip of the iceberg.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)

See also:
* Netherlands: Doctor calls to allow light form of female circumcision
* Netherlands: Imams against female circumcision
* Netherlands: restoring virginity

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