Yorkshire Photography
News: Latest - distributed around Yorkshire April 25, 2017 01:06:40 PM
On Tuesday 18 April, two protection orders were granted by the Sheffield Family Court, allowing SYP to protect two females who were identified as being at risk of FGM.
Permission to grant the order was given by the judge under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and the Serious Crime Act 2015, after South Yorkshire Police presented the case and their reasoning for the application.
The successful application for the order has now provided police with the power to retain the passport of a potential victim, preventing them from being taken out of the country and into a situation where she was deemed to be at high risk of FGM.
Action has also been taken to put the appropriate safeguarding measures in place to protect the victim’s welfare and work with partner agencies to provide support.
This order will now remain in place until Tuesday 2 May, when the case will again be heard before the Family Court. At this hearing police will have the opportunity to apply for the order to be extended.
Deputy force lead for FGM, Detective Sergeant Suzanne Bluck, commented on the notice: “We are extremely pleased we have been granted the right to enforce the first notices under this legislation and are able to now take action to prevent further potential victims of FGM. I hope this sends out a strong message, to those who support or seek to enforce this practice either here or abroad, that we with our partners will take action where necessary to enforce the law and protect victims.
“FGM is a serious offence and it is notoriously difficult to expect young children to potentially prosecute family members or understand that it is wrong. However, this type of order is a strong preventative and protective measure from the one incident in their lives that causes permanent physical and psychological damage.
“Therefore I believe it is extremely important that the brave actions of both victims and others, who report incidents to police, are recognised and we are able to act under the legislation to protect those who are at risk, or have already been subjected to FGM.
“The results achieved yesterday highlight how this historic practice still takes place in some cultures and I hope by speaking about FGM and the action we are taking to identify and prevent it, we will encourage others to raise awareness and report any suspicions they may have to police.
“With support from our partners and local authorities, we will now continue to raise awareness of FGM, encourage reporting and implement our Prevent, Protect, Partners and Prosecute strategy.
“If you would like to report anything, whether you are or know a victim or survivor, please contact police on 101 or through enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk.
“Advice and support about FGM and the new mandatory reporting regulations can also be found on our website www.southyorks.police.uk or through your local health centre or third party organisation such as Ashiana
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