Tuesday, 19 March, 2024
HomeMedico-LegalEgyptian doctor accused of FGM released on bail

Egyptian doctor accused of FGM released on bail

An Egyptian court has released on bail a doctor who was detained for performing a genital cutting procedure on a 12-year-old girl who bled to death in January. According to a News24 report, the gynaecologist said he conducted the illegal procedure alone in his clinic "without any anaesthetic or nurse present", according to prosecutors quoted in local media.

The girl bled to death shortly after the operation, commonly referred to as female circumcision. Her father filed a police complaint against the doctor after his daughter's death in late January.

The report says Dar Al Ifta, the Egyptian body tasked with Islamic religious edicts, has released a statement condemning female genital mutilation (FGM), deeming it "forbidden" in Islamic law. Egypt first banned FGM in 2008, but the practice remains rife in the conservative country with many believing it promotes women's chastity.

[link url="https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/egypt-frees-doctor-who-performed-fgm-on-girl-who-bled-to-death-20200207"]Full News24 report[/link]

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