Woman, 40, jailed after handing over British toddler for female genital mutilation in Kenya

  • The latest ITV News London report on the sentencing of Amina Noor at the Old Bailey

A woman convicted of handing over a three-year-old British girl for female genital mutilation (FGM) during a trip to Kenya in a legal first has been jailed for seven years.

Amina Noor, 40, from Harrow, north-west London, was found guilty last year of assisting a non-UK person to carry out the procedure overseas 18 years ago.

She became the first person to be convicted of taking someone to another country for FGM.

Noor is also only the second in the UK to be convicted under the FGM Act of 2003.

The other successful prosecution was in 2019 when a Ugandan woman from Walthamstow, east London, was jailed for 11 years for cutting a three-year-old girl.

Mr Justice Bryan, sentencing her to seven years at the Old Bailey on Friday, described the crime as “truly horrific and abhorrent”.

The judge said he hoped the victim’s “bravery” would encourage others to come forward to report incidents.

Noor, aged 22, travelled to the east African country with the toddler in 2006 and took her to a private house where she was subjected to FGM, also known as female circumcision or cutting.

The crime only came to light years later when the girl was 16 and confided in her English teacher at school.

When spoken to, the defendant said she thought the procedure was just an injection and afterwards the girl was “happy and able to run around and play”, the court heard.

But when examined in 2019, it emerged that the girl’s clitoris had been completely removed.

Noor travelled to Kenya, aged 22, with the toddler, aged three, in 2006 - the crime, however, did not come to light until years later Credit: PA

Noor appeared “shocked and upset” and said that was not what she thought was going to happen.

According to an initial account, Noor described going with another woman to a “clinic” where the girl was called into a room for a procedure.

The defendant said she was invited in but refused because she was “scared and worried”.

Afterwards, the girl appeared quiet and cried the whole night and complained of pain, according to the account.

Jurors were told the defendant was born in Somalia and moved to Kenya at the age of eight during the civil war in her home country.

She was aged 16 when she came to the UK and was later granted British citizenship.

The defendant described what had been done to the girl as “Sunnah”, meaning “tradition” or “way” in Arabic, and said it was a practice that had gone on for cultural reasons for many years.

The court was told that 94% of females of Somali origin living in Kenya undergo the procedure, according to United Nations figures.

Giving evidence in her trial, Noor said she was threatened with being “cursed” and “disowned” within her community if she did not take part.

She told jurors the threat gave her “pain”, adding: “That was a pressure I had no power to do anything about.”

The victim, who is now aged 21, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy speaking to the media outside the Old Bailey after the sentencing Credit: PA

The Metropolitan Police said the sentencing will act as a “real deterrent” and raise awareness.

Speaking outside the Old Bailey following her sentencing, Met Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy told reporters: “I hope today’s sentence acts as a real deterrent to those who choose to harm children in this way.

“More importantly, I hope that we can use this result as an opportunity to continue to raise awareness of this topic, ensuring victims know that there is support and help out there.”

Anyone who has suffered from FGM can get help, support and advice from health professionals in the NHS, as well as from the National FGM centre.

The Dahlia Project also offers support to women who had survived FGM and work to empower communities through education to reject FGM and to raise awareness with professionals about FGM and safeguarding.

If you have concerns about the welfare of any young person, or you have information about FGM-related offending, you can call police on 101 or the NSPCC FGM Helpline on 0800 028 3550.

Anonymity starts as soon as an allegation of FGM is made to police, which ensures victims and survivors are protected whatever the outcome is of the investigation or prosecution.

If you know someone who you believe to be at immediate risk, call 999 immediately.

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