New York : A 44-year-old Indian-origin woman doctor has been arrested and charged with performing genital mutilation on girls aged 6 to 8, believed to be the first such in the US.
Jumana Nagarwala has been charged with performing FGM on minor girls out of a medical office in Livonia, Michigan. According to Nagarwala’s profile in the Henry Ford Health System website, she speaks English and Gujarati.
According to the complaint, some of the minor victims allegedly traveled inter-state to have Nagarwala perform the procedure. The complaint alleges that Nagarwala performed FGM on girls who were approximately 6 to 8 years old. This is believed to be the first case brought under a US law, which criminalises FGM. Nagarwala, who is an emergency room physician, was arrested and was scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit.
The number of girls under 18 at risk for FGM in the US has quadrupled since 1997. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 513,000 women and girls are at risk of FGM in the US. Congress passed a law in 1996 making it illegal to perform genital mutilation or cutting in the US on anyone under than 18.
FGM is punishable by up to five years in prison; however, it is not a crime in 26 US states, including Michigan.–PTI
