Man and woman arrested at Heathrow on suspicion of FGM offences overseas

An eight-year-old girl has been taken into protective custody after a man and a woman were arrested at Heathrow in connection with alleged female genital mutilation offences overseas.

Police said the 49-year-old woman was held after her flight from Nairobi, Kenya, landed at the west London airport shortly before 5am on Wednesday.

The man, 45, was also detained at Heathrow but was not on the flight, the Metropolitan Police said.

A spokesman added: “The man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of assisting a non-UK person to carry out FGM overseas.

“Both suspects have been taken into custody at a south London police station.

“The arrest follows the successful application by officers from the Camberwell Child Abuse Investigation Team of a FGM Prevention Order.

“It was sought after concerns were raised by a south London school about one of their pupils who had failed to attend school and was believed to have been taken to Somalia.”

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