Female genital mutilation: proposal to introduce a civil protection order
This consultation seeks views on whether the introduction of a specific civil law measure could help protect potential victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
This is a consultation on whether a specific civil law measure, similar to the Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPO) model, could prevent FGM and help protect women and girls at risk.
FGM has been a specific criminal offence since 1985 but there have so far been no convictions in England and Wales. A number of initiatives have been undertaken to increase reporting of the practice and support prosecutions of those involved in FGM. However, the ideal is to prevent the mutilation from happening in the first place. Existing civil law measures, although not specifically designed with such victims in mind, could apply to victims of FGM in some circumstances.