London [UK], October 4: A former PhD student has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after he became the first person to be convicted of conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation (FGM) in England and Wales.
Emad Kaky was found guilty of conspiracy to commit FGM and forced marriage following a two-week trial after he made travel arrangements for a young girl to travel from the UK to Iraq. The defendant was sentenced by Judge Nirmal Shant KC at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, who called the planned offence "barbaric". The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the 47-year-old's conviction is a "landmark" case and is the "first of its kind". The jury heard that Kaky, from Swansea, had booked and paid for the trip to Iraq while he was living in Nottingham before his plans were discovered by a witness who reported him to the police.Messages retrieved from his mobile phone also showed that he "clearly" intended to subject the girl to female genital mutilation, the CPS said.
Kaky defended his actions when a witness challenged him by calling FGM "normal", it added. (PA Media/dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune
