A 37-year-old woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after becoming the first person to be convicted of inflicting female genital mutilation in the UK.
The woman was convicted of attempting to cut her three-year-old daughter.
Her 43-year-old partner was cleared of any involvement.
At a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey in London, Mrs Justice Philippa Whipple said FGM is a “barbaric practice.”
“FGM has long been against the law and let's be clear FGM is a form of child abuse,” said the judge.
“It is a barbaric practice and a serious crime.
“It is an offence which targets women – particularly inflicted when they are young and vulnerable.”
It is unclear why the woman inflicted FGM on the child; however, the court heard that witchcraft was a possibility.
Justice Whipple said the child now carry “a significant and life-long burden.”
"You betrayed her trust in you as her protector," she said.
She added a further two years for the possession of indecent images and extreme pornography.
FGM carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in the UK.
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