A married couple convicted of the female genital mutilation (FGM) of their daughter are the first in the country to be convicted of the offence, a court has heard. The 37-year-old man and 27-year-old woman also pleaded not guilty to one count of child cruelty on the same day. Kelly said the accused man gave an explanation that the child had sustained the injury by falling backwards onto a toy. Patrick Gageby SC, defending the mother, said that his client is a married woman with three young children. He asked the court to temper its public obligations with the requirement to visit a proportionate sentence on his client.

Source: Irish Examiner December 20, 2019 14:15 UTC