On 20 November, a Federal judge in Detroit , Bernard Friedman dismissed some of the charges on the first in the history of the United States criminal case against ritual FGM girls. According to the court, to prohibit female circumcision is unconstitutional.
In April 2017, were arrested by the emergency physician joumana of Nagarwala. According to prosecutors, the therapist Fakhruddin Attar has allowed Nagarwala the hospital his wife in Livonia (mi), 9 girls aged 8 to 13 years of ritual circumcision. The parents of the girls had told anyone about these operations, not to tell.
Fakhruddin Attar and joumana nagarwala of conducting operations for female circumcision
It is reported that the removal of the external female genitals is practiced by some members of the Dawoodi Bohra Islamic sects in India, which is a small community in Detroit.
In January, judge Friedman dismissed the most serious charges against the doctors in the sexual abuse of a minor, the penalty for which is life imprisonment.
According to yesterday’s court ruling, adopted in 1996, the act of mutilating operations on the female genital organs is unconstitutional, therefore, Congress had no reason to criminalize this practice.
According to Bernard Friedman, was incorrect to ban female circumcision, relying on the provisions of the Constitution that regulate commercial activity.
The procedures happened at the Livonia clinic of Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, which was managed by his wife Dr. Farida Attar, prosecutors say. They are charged in the same conspiracy as Jumana Nagarwala. Here are the Attars arriving at federal court today. pic.twitter.com/TSGYqAV2V9
— Robert Snell (@robertsnellnews) September 26, 2018
Lawyer Nagarwala Shannon Smith said her client is pleased with the court decision.
«We are pleased that a verdict [the judge] about [not]the constitutionality of the law was consistent with our analysis in particular, said Smith after the verdict. — My client happy, but still worried because she hasn’t removed other charges in Federal court.»
With Nagarwala and 3 mothers sending daughters to circumcision, was acquitted of charges of sexual abuse of children. However, the court still has to decide on 2 other charges: in violation of Nagarwala official regulations and organization of conspiracy involving subject to unlawful sexual connection.
Group for the protection of the rights of women condemned the judge’s decision, calling it a defeat for women and girls.
«This is a giant step backwards in protecting the rights of women and girls, — said the Director of the organization Equality Now Shelby CEST. Especially when there is a global movement to eliminate this practice
«.
