FGM Survivors Face Huge Barriers to Justice, Reveals Brave Victim
Silent Suffering: Why FGM Remains Hidden
Female genital mutilation (FGM) survivors are trapped in silence, unable to seek help or report abuse, a courageous victim revealed at a major national conference on honour-based abuse.
Huja, cut as a three-month-old baby in The Gambia, addressed top police chiefs, prosecutors, and government ministers on February 3. Speaking at a high-profile event by the Crown Prosecution Service, Home Office, and National Police Chiefs’ Council, she exposed why this brutal crime stays buried beneath a wall of secrecy.
“Many victims don’t even know they’ve been mutilated because it happens so young,” Huja explained. “Cultural pressure, fear of being shunned, and not knowing their legal rights shut survivors up.”
Community Pressure Keeps FGM Under Wraps
Huja revealed how her aunt arranged the cutting “out of love,” spotlighting how FGM is often cruelly framed as a cultural rite. Survivors face stigma, while families protect offenders rather than victims.
She only realised what had been done on her wedding night, despite battling lifelong health problems linked to FGM. “Survivors face countless barriers before they can reach help,” she said bluntly.
Justice System Struggles to Crack Down
Data shows just 114 suspects were charged under honour-based abuse laws in the year to September 2025 — a tiny fraction of actual crimes. Honour-based abuse covers domestic violence, forced marriage, sexual abuse, and FGM, mostly inflicted by relatives to “protect honour.”
Senior figures, including Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson and Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips MP, listened closely to Huja’s testimony.
“Only by listening to survivors can we break down barriers and bring more offenders to justice,” said CPS Director of Policy Baljit Ubhey.
Jess Phillips vowed: “No honour in honour-based abuse. Our new legal definitions will back victims and hammer criminals.”
Police lead ACC Emma James promised survivors “empathy and understanding” and urged them to report abuse when ready. Solicitor General Ellie Reeves pledged tougher prosecutions and improved support through joined-up efforts.
Education and Unity: The Way Forward
Huja called for professionals and communities to unite against honour-based abuse. Education is vital to ending these hidden crimes.
She praised charities like the Sundial Centre for Education on Harmful Practices for defending at-risk girls.
The conference closed with a push for multi-agency teamwork to break down barriers, raise survivor confidence, and slash violence against women and girls by half in the next decade.
