Two Muslim couples, including a retired nurse and a sheik, have been charged by NSW police with the genital mutilation of two girls aged six and seven, prompting authorities to warn migrant groups that the cultural practice has no place in Australia.
The cultural female “circumcisions” -- which typically involve the total or partial removal of the external genitals -- took place at a home under “some medical conditions”.
“Police will be alleging this was part of a cultural belief that occurs in other countries,” said Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec from the NSW Sex Crimes Squad.
“The community has been forthcoming . . . with their rejection, in part, to this procedure. Sadly, some members of the community think it is still an accepted process.” It is an offence in NSW to mutilate the genitals of women, both inside the country and if someone is taken overseas for the procedure.
Yesterday, 56-year-old Mohammedbai Shabbir Vagiri, understood to be a Pakistani Muslim leader, and Kubra Magennis, 68, a retired female nurse, were charged with two counts of accessory after the fact of female genital mutilation and hindering the investigation of a serious indictable offence. Ms Magennis was also charged with female genital mutilation offences.
Last week, a 42-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were also charged with female genital mutilation.
It is alleged the circumcisions were performed by Magennis, the retired nurse.
They are the first charges over the offence in NSW and it is believed to be the first time charges have been laid for such a procedure taking place in Australia.
This month, the parents of a one-year-old girl were charged in Western Australia after they flew their daughter to Bali for a circumcision. Islamic Friendship Association of Australia spokesman Keysar Trad said mainstream Muslims rejected the practice, which also occurs in other countries, particularly in Africa.
“This is a cultural practice that has nothing to do with religion. We don’t condone the mutilation of women and we strongly advise against it,” he said.
Mr Trad said he’d heard the rationale for the procedure, but it no longer applied.
“Some are very obsessed with female sexuality and hygiene; they say it’s to make it cleaner, but this is Australia and there is no excuse,” he said.
In March, Victorian senator Helen Kroger said the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne saw 600-700 women a year who had suffered genital mutilation.
“In many cases, this was done to these women in their native countries before they immigrated,” she said.
“However, increasingly the female children of these immigrants are also being mutilated and are being sent home to the countries of birth of their parents.”
Most states and territories have enacted legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation.
In Victoria, the Crimes Act was amended in 1996 to prohibit the performance of female genital mutilation procedures on a child or adult and to prohibit the removal of a child to have such procedures performed. The NSW laws were amended in 1994.
“We need to unveil FGM from the religious and cultural cloak in which it hides. If we allow young Australian girls to be physically mutilated, we are allowing scars which will never heal,” Senator Kroger said.
NSW Minister for Community Services and Women Pru Goward said the practice was “abhorrent”.
“It is illegal. It is a form of child abuse. It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident,” she said.
Superintendent Kerlatec said the alleged offenders retained custody of their children because they were deemed to be good parents, despite the charges.