asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prosecutions have been brought for acts of genital mutilation; and [HL7850]

What are their plans for preventing acts of genital mutilation being committed.[HL7851]

Male genital mutilation is not a specific offence. There have been no prosecutions under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, nor were there any under the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 which it replaced. But the success of the Act cannot be measured only by the number of prosecutions. Prosecution after the fact does not relieve the victim of a lifetime of pain and discomfort. We want to prevent female genital mutilation from happening in the first place. The 2003 Act, with its increased maximum penalty, from five to 14 years’ imprisonment, is designed to deter this unacceptable practice.