There were 5,700 new cases of female genital mutilation recorded in England in 2015-16, the first annual statistics show. The figures, published on Thursday by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and covering the period of April 2015 to March 2016, show that in 18 cases the practice had been undertaken in the UK. The age group for which FGM was most common was five- to nine-year-olds, accounting for 43% of the total number of cases where the age at the time of being cut was known. In all there were 8,660 attendances where FGM was identified or a medical procedure for the practice was undertaken, according to the statistics, the first to be published since the government introduced compulsory reporting for NHS trusts and GP surgeries. The Royal College of Nursing said more had to be done to end the practice, which has been illegal in the UK since 1985. The Guardian >> Vorig jaar werd er gesproken dat er voor 20.000 meisjes een risico was: The force said it is estimated that more than 20,000 girls under the age of 15 in the UK are at risk of FGM each year, although very few cases are reported. [...]![]()
