The summer holidays are often the time when victims are flown overseas to unwittingly undergo the procedure, which is illegal and considered in the UK as a form of child abuse.
Recent figures from the NHS show that 1,990 women and girls in England were treated for FGM during the first quarter of this year. Of these, 1,015 were newly recorded cases. FGM took place before the age of 18 in 80 per cent of the cases. Overall, it is estimated that there are at least 137,000 girls and women affected by FGM in England and Wales.
The National FGM Centre is run by Barnardo’s and the Local Government Association and offers training and advice to teachers and others. It says that any school staff worried that a child might be at risk of FGM should follow their normal safeguarding procedures.
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