Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.

This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and addressing female genital mutilation (FMG) is critical to achieving this.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes prosecuting FGM seriously. It secured the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales this September and is taking steps to actively increase prosecutions.

Each CPS area has access to a dedicated FGM lead based within the Complex Casework Unit who have expertise in the prosecution of FGM cases. They share best practice to improve the CPS’ response to FGM cases to help increase prosecution rates.

The CPS will provide early investigative advice to the police in all FGM cases, and through the CPS and Police Joint Protocol on FGM, investigators are encouraged to refer every case to the CPS at the earliest stage. The protocol ensures a robust and appropriate criminal justice response and aims to achieve improved and consistent performance in the identification, investigation and prosecution of FGM.

Additionally, the CPS has revised the prosecution guidance for FGM to address common areas of challenge, including the need for expert evidence. The guidance helps prosecutors to navigate the complexities of FGM cases and online training is also available to all prosecutors. The guidance is available here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/female-genital-mutilation.