May 23, 2014
Female genital mutilation: three charged with circumcising girls committed to stand trial
by Emma PartridgeCrime Reporter
The first three people ever charged with female genital mutilation in NSW were committed to stand trial at a Sydney court on Friday.
A mother, a retired nurse and a sheikh have been accused of circumcising two girls, aged six and seven, at a Sydney home in 2012.
Sex crimes police allege the procedure was done for cultural reasons.
The mother accused of allowing her two daughters to be "cut" stood before Parramatta Local Court clutching a crying baby girl.
She told the court she did not wish to say anything in relation to the charges or offer any evidence in her defence.
The court heard one of the victims had talked about how she had been cut on a ‘‘private part’’, while another little girl had said in an interview that she was hurt on her ‘‘bottom’’.
Nine people were originally charged with their involvement in the alleged mutilation, including the girl’s father, a Sydney doctor, whose charges were later dropped.
Auburn Sheikh Shabbir Vaziri, 56, had his bail continued after he was committed to stand trial on two counts of being an accessory after the fact to female genital mutilation and with hindering the police investigation.
The retired nurse charged with performing the procedure remained silent in court but hit the shoulder of a journalist with her hand outside court as she covered her head.
The case is next before court on June 20.
Earlier story
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