A Queensland girl was playing outside her grandmother's house in Somalia when she was called inside, unaware she was about to have her genitals painfully mutilated, a court has heard. Seven months later, when they arrived back in Australia and their bodies had healed, they reluctantly but courageously told police about their experiences. It has led to their mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, being on trial in Brisbane District Court for female genital mutilation charges. Neither child knew what was planned for them, the court heard, and they were conscious during the procedures. She was awake and felt everything in the part of her body that she says she uses to urinate."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 11, 2019 07:30 UTC