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Awareness around female genital mutilation (FGM) should be “entrenched” in primary schools in St Helens, a councillor has said.
FGM is illegal in the UK and it is also an offence to arrange the procedure, which is practiced in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, outside the country for British citizens or permanent residents.
While procedures can differ, FGM is where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, and is usually carried out on young girls between infancy and the age of 15.
According to NHS figures, there have been 6,195 cases of FGM in the UK recorded between April 2017 and March this year.