FGM | House of Lords

There are over 125,000 women in England and Wales estimated to be living with the consequences of FGM.

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All types of female genital mutilation (FGM) have been illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the Female Circumcision Prohibition Act 1985. The Serious Crime Act 2015 extended the reach of the previous Acts and also made it an offence for any person with parental or caring responsibility for a girl to fail to protect her from FGM.

There are a number of reasons why there have not been successful prosecutions for FGM. FGM is often carried out on young girls who may not understand what is being done to them and the overwhelming majority of cases in the UK the FGM has been carried out before the women and girls arrived in the country.