Friday 11 January 2013

It's Not A Change In The Law That's Needed...

...it's a change in the attitudes of the public sector:
The DPP revealed the change in tactics yesterday as he responded to the criticism and said he will not hesitate to call for a change in the law.
Pointless. Utterly pointless. Yet more evidence (as if it were needed) that Kier Starmer is as much use as a chocolate teapot...
Ann Clwyd, a Labour MP whose 2003 FGM Act bans girls being taken abroad to have the procedure, said teachers, doctors and police had shown "a lack of sufficient will to confront minority ethnic groups on such an issue".
She added: "It's very nice to get a law through Parliament, but if it isn't acted upon, it isn't worth the paper it's written on."
Starmer's solution? Try a different law!
Mr Starmer said he did not want to repeal existing anti-FGM laws, as that would "send the wrong message", but he conceded "the legislation clearly isn't nearly enough on its own". His FGM "action plan" also pledges to "explore whether evidence to prosecute offences under other legislation is possible and may be easier to support".
He targeted the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act, which creates an offence of "causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to die or suffer serious physical harm", as route to tougher action.
Clearly, a man who only has a hammer to solve his problems...
An Association of Chief Police Officers spokesman said: "Detection can be difficult because some children are exposed to the practice before they enter the schooling system. There are dedicated officers working in this area and police will investigate where there is information that such practices are occurring. Officers are working with community representatives to highlight serious health issues that can arise."
Stop 'working with community representatives' and start arresting them!

If it helps to get your outrage on, try to imagine they pinched some 20 year old starlet's bum 30 years ago... 

And stop hiring public health workers from the cultures that tolerate this:
I moved to England in 2011 and, through my work, I have seen women, some Somali, who have needed to have an operation [deinfibulation] to give birth. But when they come back for a second child they have again been sewn up [reinfibulation], so it is possible they are having FGM in the UK. I want to help other ladies. I feel complete but I don't want girls to go through this.
That's a quote from 'Aissa Edon, 30, a midwife working at Ealing Hospital, London.'

What does she do with her information, other than give it to a newspaper reporter? Perhaps a few high-profile trials of those who turn a blind eye will do the trick.

I suggest we start with Aissa.

8 comments:

Fahrenheit211 said...

It is not new laws that are required, it is for the existing laws to be enforced. I completely concur with the idea that we should no longer 'work with' alleged islamic community leaders, but should instead start nicking them. Sadly this is not a new problem and it has been said that 24k Islamic women in the UK have been genitally mutilated. This is yet another example of how Islam is utterly and completely poisonous.

http://www.fahrenheit211.net/2012/11/26/24000-uk-islamic-women-at-risk-from-female-genital-mutilation-so-why-no-prosecutions-in-27-years/

Tatty said...

Isn't it a bit late to do anything about it when the mutilated infant has grown to be a woman about to give birth ? I mean, what is the Statute Of Limitations on this ?

I guess babies can be required to be checked easily enough by Health Visitors but that is dependent on the mothers turning up for regular checks and immunisations.

How do you propose we go about checking small girls for mutilation... strip inspections on induction at school and providing they don't attend Islamic institutions for their education ?

I suppose it could be done somehow at doctors appointments but perhaps this is one of the reasons that females may not be alone with male doctors. On second thoughts... how would any mother react to a doctor requiring her child to drop her knickers on demand.

I'm just not sure quite how we're supposed to quickly and efficiently detect it.

Ancient + Tattered Airman said...

The joys and benefits of ethnic diversity and multi-culturalism just keep coming. don't they?

Hilary Burrage said...

UK readers may like to add their name to the HMGovt e-petition to 'STOP #FGM in Britian':

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35313

It's not about Islam, by the way. Much more ancient and complex than that. Anyone who'd like to is very welcome to see a bit more at

http://hilaryburrage.com/tag/fgm/

where I try to address some of the issues, especially, that Tatty mentions here.

Thanks,
Hilary @NoFGM1

Fahrenheit211 said...

Hilary, Although I concur with you that it is not all Islam behind FGM, many of those who are afflicted by this evil in the UK are from Islamic communities.

Anonymous said...

What do you suppose would happen, if all applicants for immigration had to be medically examined, to check for mutilation of their females, with entry denied to the family if such mutilation is present?
And what would happen if we brought in compulsory health screening for all UK children in the year approaching their 16th birthday?
Monty

JuliaM said...

"Sadly this is not a new problem..."

Quite so, and yet new solutions are all the rage!

"I'm just not sure quite how we're supposed to quickly and efficiently detect it."

I think Monty has the answer at 23:10, though I'm not so sure about the second suggestion.

"It's not about Islam, by the way. "

The two do coincide far, far too much for comfort though...

Tatty said...

|Monty - "What do you suppose would happen, if all applicants for immigration had to be medically examined, to check for mutilation of their females, with entry denied to the family if such mutilation is present?

Dunno. Perhaps depends a little bit on whether the practice is legal in their country of origin. If not then we'd be at least be guilty of rank hypocrisy when, say just for instance, demanding our homosexuals Human Rights be upheld elsewhere in the world.

Never mind the race, gender and cultural angle....global sexual practices are a very tricky subject, dontchaknow !`

I think, therefore, that Starmer has it right in focusing on the physical and psychological harm angle. It's certainly the smallest minefield to choose from.