Peer-reviewed article
Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation in children in the UK
Yusuf Malik, Andrew Graeme Rowland, Felicity Gerry, Fiona MacVane Phipps ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines the impact of UK legislation introduced in 2015 that made reporting of female genital mutilation (FGM) in girls under 18 mandatory. The researchers sent Freedom of Information requests to police and health/social care organisations to assess how many FGM cases were reported following the legal change. The findings reveal significant gaps in data collection and reporting, with most police authorities providing incomplete or no information, despite evidence suggesting over 6000 cases were reported nationally during the study period.
Key points
- Over 100,000 women and girls in the UK were estimated to be living with FGM in 2015
- Of 45 UK police authorities, only six initially responded to information requests, with three reporting no FGM cases
- Other sources indicated over 6,000 reported cases between October 2014 and October 2015
- Poor data accessibility and inconsistent reporting practices affect professionals' ability to understand and respond to FGM
- Despite FGM being illegal since 1985 and mandatory reporting since 2015, very few prosecutions have resulted
Limitations
This study documents data collection challenges rather than evaluating the effectiveness of mandatory reporting in preventing FGM or protecting children. The discrepancy between police reported figures and other sources means the true number of cases remains unclear.
Abstract
Background While female genital mutilation (FGM) has been illegal in the UK since 1985, research estimated that in 2015 there were over 100 000 women and girls resident in the UK subjected to FGM. Aims To determine the effect of changes in the legislation of 2015, which made reporting of FGM in girls under 18 mandatory. Methods Freedom of Information requests were sent to all 45 UK police authorities, asking the number of cases of FGM reported between specific dates, victims' ages, the occupation of the person reporting and the age and gender breakdown of the police force. Similar requests were sent to health and social care organisations. Findings Of 45 police authorities in the UK, six initially responded, with three stating that no cases of FGM had been reported. The remaining police authorities either provided partial information or declined the request. However, other sources indicated over 6000 reported cases between October 2014 and October 2015. Conclusions The ability of frontline professionals and policymakers to obtain, interpret and use data is affected by the secrecy that surrounds FGM, the complexities of investigation and the absence of a significant numbers of prosecutions.