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Britain’s first clinic for young victims of female genital mutilation, or FGM, has seen just five girls in the past year, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
In total, the service – which has cost more than £70,000 over and above staff salaries – has treated just 43 patients since it opened four years ago.
Last night some experts said the lack of patients at the children’s FGM clinic within University College Hospital London raised questions about how prevalent the barbaric practice is in this country.
FGM has been called a ‘national scandal’ by MPs, and the Government has spent more than £35 million on trying to eradicate it, but despite three high-profile trials there has still not been a successful prosecution.