Jury convicts father in genital mutilation of girl

[ECH1969]

jury Wednesday found an Ethiopian immigrant guilty of the genital mutilation of his 2-year-old daughter in what was believed to be the first criminal case in the United States involving the ancient African tradition.

Khalid Adem, 30, was convicted of aggravated battery and cruelty to children. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Adem used scissors to remove his daughter’s clitoris in his family’s Atlanta-area apartment in 2001.

During her father’s trial, the girl, now 7, clutched a teddy bear as she testified on videotape that her father “cut me on my private part.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15515179/

[truthisfreedom]

1. how unbelievably sad.

unimaginable.

[OKthatsIT]

18. Pard me.....while i faint ~

(head is swooning)

[NaturalHigh]

2. What a bastard.

He got off easy, in my opinion.

[Dulcinea]

3. Good.

I have no sympathy for him whatsoever. He can protest that this barbaric practice is his custom, but it's illegal in this country, & he deserves to go to prison for his crime. There are plenty of African immigrants in Atlanta, & they need to understand that this "tradition" is a criminal offense in America. This is one instance where cultural norms are trumped by our laws. Go ahead, flame away.

[China_cat]

4. No flame

but it's NOT illegal in this country if done by a physician, under anesthesia and with all care for hygiene. Only illegal when done by a family member.

Same as circumcision.

[Matilda]

8. It is illegal in Australia.

NSW and S.A. specifically ban it, and some other states rely on laws
against causing bodily harm or assault, but surprisingly, the Federal
Government doesn't appear to have banned it. S.A. also makes it illegal
to take a child out of the country to have it performed elsewhere, which
is what happens, I believe, in many western countries where the practice
is banned.

And I think you will find that it is illegal in most, if not all, states
in the U.S. as well.

http://www.crlp.org/pub_fac_fgmicpd.html

[China_cat]

9. Only illegal in 16 out of 50 states.

[Boomer]

10. This is NOT the same as circumcision

The removal of a clitoris would be equivalent to the removal of a penis. I wonder if this would be legal if done by a physician?

Who exactly would approve of the surgical amputation of a penis? Not too many people, male or female, I would imagine. So allowing an equivalent mutilation of a clitoris should be just as appalling.

[endarkenment]

14. Bad analogy.

"The removal of a clitoris would be equivalent to the removal of a penis."

Not really. Go back and check the plumbing in the penis vs the plumbing in the clitoris.

Male genital mutilation for religious reasons is just that: genital mutilation.

[w4rma]

19. Fine. It is the same as chopping off the top. (nt)

[burrowowl]

32. Let's say that it is the

equivalent of not only removing the foreskin, but the glands as well, a male can still pee with the glands removed, but I wonder how sensitive he would be to pleasure?

[melody]

15. When a cultural tradition harms a child, unable to make an adult choice, it's wrong

Individual rights take precedence over cultural traditions, in all rational arguments.

We're not talking about adults here, capable of making their own decisions. These are children. We may allow parents to
pierce a child's ear as a cultural tradition, but we don't allow them to cut off the ear. We allow parents to circumcise
infant males, but we don't allow them to cut-off their penises. It is *illegal* to castrate a
male child, therefore it is *illegal* to castrate a female child, and clitorectomy/infibulation is the female analog of cutting off the penis. It is NOT the same as male circumcision.

[zreosumgame]

29. any doctor who would do this should be jailed

it is NOT like circumcision. it removes her clitoris. to be equivalent, circumcision would have to remove the penis, not just the foreskin.

[kdmorris]

6. LOL Flame What??

If immigrants want to bring their culture to America, I applaud that. Cinco de Mayo...St. Patrick's Day...their wonderful languages.. all beautiful, fun things that make America much more diverse.

Cutting your daughter's clitoris off with scissors?? Sacrificing your first born son (not that this is anyone's tradition, but it's an illustration of how awful the first is)? Leave those behind.

People come to this country (usually) to have a better life, to escape from something at home. I do not think it's too much to ask to keep the good and leave as much of the bad at home as you can.

[tkmorris]

7. True enough......

And in this case of course the real answer as to whether this is cultural importation that is acceptable and to welcomed, or whether it is merely the superstitious mutilation of children is quite easy to answer.

However, in other cases, the question of course becomes: Who decides? What is good and what is bad? Observe the collective "judgments" Americans as a group have lately made, and ask yourself, are they qualified? Are we?

[Boomer]

11. Spare me your areas of grey

Wearing a headscarf or burkka is a grey area; removing a girl's clitoris is not.

What about surgical removal of a little hand? Or a few fingers?

If the issue was whether or not parent's could surgically amputate their son's penis, you wouldn't hear anyone talking about "cultural importations." You'd hear them screaming bloody murder about assault and mutilation.

The fact that women can be sexually neutered without universal revulsion is nothing more than blatant misogyny. Women's bodies don't deserve respect; women's sexuality is not important.

[LostinVA]

25. Excellent post -- kudos!

[melody]

22. The "Americans" aren't making the judgment, reason is

When we're talking about the mutilation of children in our country, then yes, we have every right to intercede and stop it. Americans, as individuals, are as well-reasoned and intelligent as any other nationality. To suggest otherwise is to enact an equal barbarism -- bigotry.

If this was an American religious sect that believed in chopping off a child's foot, would you bow to that cultural wisdom?

No one nationality has cornered the market on stupidity. That is all over the globe, in one form or another.

[cshldoc]

5. But, but, but...

Cultural relativism!

[papau]

12. "right" and "wrong" are determined by society - & Democrats support this society

:-)

[hedgehog]

13. I wonder if the jury convicted the right person.

There's a lot of he said/ she said in this case.

[Pathwalker]

16. Who would you have them convict? The 2 year old?

Did she do it to herself? Exactly what are you suggesting?

[philosophie_en_rose]

17. Good questions. This isn't a he said/ she said issue.

It would be pretty difficult for her to make this up.

[xxqqqzme]

24. read the article

The girl's mother claims she didn't know about for over a year???? The father said his wife's family did it and he is being blamed by his EX wife. If you read the article you will see how silly your question is.

[Pathwalker]

28. I see - it's the EX-wife's fault. Uh-huh.

I suppose every mother checks her daughter's privates on a regular basis - to do otherwise would be neglect :sarcasm:
how silly of me! ;silly:

[Infinite Hope]

20. That's twisted, but...

I don't know the cultural practices behind this. If it's a cultural female circumcism that the father typically does, I don't know that we as a society can legally convict him for it.

[LostinVA]

26. WE can and should -- and this practice should be outlawed in this

country. Suggesting there's nothing wrong with this immoral and barbaric custom is appalling.

[Infinite Hope]

27. No one suggested there was nothing wrong with it...

I think it's absolutely twisted. But at the same time it's not black and white. There's the issue about imposing our culture on others which is something the U.S. is too keen on. I'm merely questioning multiple aspects of it rather than reacting.

[LeftyMom]

30. Well, they moved here

If you want to dig your kid's clit out with scissors, there are places where that is a legal thing to do. This is not one of them.

One of the most important ideas behind our society is that we protect the weak. Another is that we value self determination. So it's no great surprise that we wish to protect children from mutilation of their genitals designed to limit their self-determination as it relates to their adult sexual function. In fact, we feel so strongly about this that fear of genital mutilation is a valid reason for foreign women to seek asylum in the US.

While we go to great lengths to accommodate those who do not wish to fully assimilate, there's no reasonable expectation that we will accommodate behavior that flies in the face of our cultural expectations and is undoubtedly very harmful.

[Irreverend IX]

33. Why does one of these posts always have to show up?

Should the US respect cultural traditions of slavery, human sacrifice and female infanticide? There's plenty of room for debate over what degree of cultural relativism is appropriate, but some customs are just flat-out intolerable.

[applegrove]

21. Good!

[Trillo]

23. Poor little girl. Hope she'll be okay.

Does the perp have to register as a sex offender?

***

I found this the other day while looking for something else. It seems the little girl is likely to need future help and support.

emphasis added:

Behrendt A, Moritz S.
University Hospital, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigated the mental health status of women after genital mutilation. Although experts have assumed that circumcised women are more prone to developing psychiatric illnesses than the general population, there has been little research to confirm this claim. It was predicted that female genital mutilation is associated with a high rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: The psychological impact of female genital mutilation was assessed in 23 circumcised Senegalese women in Dakar. Twenty-four uncircumcised Senegalese women served as comparison subjects. A neuropsychiatric interview and further questionnaires were used to assess traumatization and psychiatric illnesses. RESULTS: The circumcised women showed a significantly higher prevalence of PTSD (30.4%) and other psychiatric syndromes (47.9%) than the uncircumcised women. PTSD was accompanied by memory problems. CONCLUSIONS: Within the circumcised group, a mental health problem exists that may furnish the first evidence of the severe psychological consequences of female genital mutilation.

PMID: 15863806

[Matilda]

31. There is also physical trauma and even death,

especially when it's performed in countries with poor knowledge of hygiene.

From WHO:


"Health consequences of FGM

The immediate and long-term health consequences of female genital mutilation vary according to the type and severity of the procedure performed.

Immediate complications include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissue. Haemorrhage and infection can cause death.

More recently, concern has arisen about possible transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to the use of one instrument in multiple operations, but this has not been the subject of detailed research.

Long-term consequences include cysts and abscesses, keloid scar formation, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence, dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse) and sexual dysfunction and difficulties with childbirth.

Psychosexual and psychological health: Genital mutilation may leave a lasting mark on the life and mind of the woman who has undergone it. In the longer term, women may suffer feelings of incompleteness, anxiety and depression."


I think in this case respect for culture should take second place to respect for the girls and their
future health, mental and physical. Some African countries have already taken steps towards making
this practice redundant, but completely outlawing it should be the ideal.

It is inherently patriarchal, and its aim is to disempower women.

[Hekate]

34. Good. Now publicize widely in the immigrant communities

The governments of countries that still have this barbaric practice do little to stamp it out. Some "cultural traditions" absolutely DO NOT belong in this country, and excision of girls' external genitalia is one of them.

Hekate