The Egyptian Foundation for Advancement of Children’s Conditions (EFACC) filed a report to the general prosecutor against the family of Mayar Mohammed, 17, who died while undergoing a female genital mutilation (FGM) procedure.
Mohammed underwent the FGM procedure, which is considered illegal under Egyptian law, at a private hospital in Suez along with her twin sister, who survived. The doctor who operated on her was referred to the prosecution on Wednesday, the Health Ministry stated in an official statement.
However, the local foundation is calling to refer the family to prosecution as well and all parties involved “in order to ensure the enforcement of law”.
Further, it calls for issuing a new legislation that strengthens the penalty against those who practice FGM, so that it may be considered a full crime and not just an injury.
“FGM has become a normalised crime by parents who do not consider the safety of their children’s lives. This is robustly linked to misconceptions about female morals,” the foundation said in a statement. “There are many young girls who have or could have possibly died as a result of this crime, but their stories remain untold.”
Egypt was among the countries that witnessed a fast decline in the prevalence of FGM rates from 1987 to 2015. According to a UNICEF report, it ranked sixth among countries that practice FGM worldwide, with an overall percentage of 85% among girls and women aged between 15 to 49 years old.
A government survey released earlier in August 2015 showed that 61% of girls between 15 to 17 years of age underwent FGM during 2014, compared to 74% during 2008.
