Female Genital Mutilation, now Breast Ironing young girls.

As has been said, no one in authority will ever this by the scruff of the night, just like the Muslim ladies! simply because they risk being accused of racism, sexism, and anything else you can think of, probably whipped up by certain media outlets, and minority groups. It's just awful what these girls have to suffer in the name of political correctness, and quite frankly the cowardice of people who could do something about it.

There seems to be a distinct lack of interest in this subject POGS, I wonder why?
Not so much on here, but in RL.I came across this terrible practice some time ago, but think because it is an African culture issue ( not really!) not a lot of people care about it.With the spotlight more on it nowadays, I hope prosecutions will happen when it's done to younger girls at least.

Great news POGS A public voice at long last.
I'm going to look up Jake Berry. I'm going to see if I can contact John Snow or Kathy Newman on channel 4. There're not afraid of broad casting ' difficult subjects, unlike our sainted BBC who have only just brought themselves to say the word immigration.

I was pleased to hear Jake Berry MP speak up about breast ironing in Parliament today during Foreign Office Questions . I was even more surprised by the response to hear he has been so vocal about it .

The momentum must be kept up. The link sums it up.

www.ibtimes.co.uk/breast-ironing-affects-least-1000-british-girls-some-young-10-tory-mp-warns-1551716

Me too, shirleyhick I feel quite sick at the thought.

It is GBH

I had not heard of it either it upset me just reading about it.

I think t.v adverts would be good also. FGM and Breast Ironins are so horrific to watch I wonder how far they could go though.

Yes, I bet adverts like that would not be allowed, for a variety of reasons, which is a pity because the ads already in existence about child abuse and neglect in general are very powerful.

I like your suggestion joelsnan TV adverts. If that doesn't get the word out, nothing will.
But sadly, we will still have the apolosists and victim blamers.

Sadly as a species, we have allowed the minority section (heterosexual males) to control the minds and bodies of the rest of the species through fear, intimidation and male heterosexual irientated religions.
until the remaining sections of the species combine to overcome this dominance which they probably never will do through either their non aggressive demeanour or their need to be subservient to find a mate, these grim and abhorrent practices will continue.
I think in the UK we should run TV advertisements highlighting these practices and shame the monsters that do them. Stop pussyfooting around!

It's not just young girls who are victims of these vile people. Let's not forget that its women who perform FGM.
There are a tribe of Afghan 'men' called Pashtuns. Some, not all, hate women. They think we are "unclean & distaseful" because we menstruate.
They believe that " women are for children and boys are for pleasure"
Although their Muslim religion forbids homosexuality, it's ok because they do not 'love' the boys.
They have a name for this practice, it's called, batcha bazi .

I only just heard about this last week. We've got to stop being so wimpish about cultural sensitivity and put a stop to it. This is Britain, not some backward third world country. Sadly though these barbaric practices are seeping into our society almost unnoticed and it's time we started to shout, loudly.
Well done Sky, I'll sign any petitions and have a look at Forward too.
I'm raging about this.

What is it with some men in religious communities? Apart from the well publicised prosecutions in Rotherham et al, there was an interesting discussion this morning on Radio 4 about the Pope's latest attempts to drag the Catholic Church into the 20th ( never mind 21st) century. the female reporter had unusually, visited the inner areas of The Vatican and she said it was like being in the Middle Ages,. No women visible, just hordes of old men who were described as very conservative, gliding about in their gowns of various hues. Women in Orthodox Jewish communities fare no better.
The one thing that all of these misogynistic religions have in common is that they all forbid/fear female education, presumably because an educated woman will question their ideas and will realise there is another way. I dont wish to make sweeping generalisations, but I have always been disturbed by the dominance of elderly males and the subordination and often mistreatment of women by these same men.

I too am sickened by this childabuse, torture, cruelty, misogyny, religious/cultural bigotry usually instigated by males and is tantamount to control freakery in the extreme. I also hate the double standards being practised in UK - I site the earlier reference to the mother who stamped her baby to death. And cultural sensitivities and/or political correctness are totally unacceptable in these cases, and many others.

I know I should listen to it but I really can't bring myself to hear the news item on BI which I hadn't heard of before this thread.

Perhaps the many cases haven't been brought to court because the victims are afraid to complain. Someone has to bring a charge first and in the religious communities who carry it out there's always been a cover-up.
And fear of reprisals afterwards.

I was watching "Hard Talk" a few days ago and there were 2 women on there being interviewed by Stephen Sakur, one had FGM "imposed" on her as a child of 7 (I think it was) the other "gladly" went through the experience in her 20's. Stephen made the point that the difference was in "informed" decision or no decision at all. I have never seen Stephen Sakur so quiet, he is normally an aggressive interviewer but I think he was so shocked. So was I by the one who thought it was OK & acceptable. I already knew there had been NO prosecutions in this country although the Law is there to protect. I have to ask "why" is this so ? Do we lack the motivation to follow through with the action? Do we now choose which laws we obey and which we dont?

little fierce if it's so hard to prove, why are there 2 sessions a month being held at St Georges hospital in southwest London. This is run by a midwife called Denise Henry. There is also a specialist clinic at University Colledge Hospital.

POGS, thank you for publicising this horrible issue which, I too, had only heard of for the first time recently. The practice of breast ironing, along with FGM, is barbaric and the west should never have allowed physical torture to be swept under the carpet in order to pander to cultural sensitivities. That other cultures are based on misogyny should be trumpeted and challenged lest we slip back into the dark ages. Women should be free to live their lives unhampered and to take part in the public as well as the private sphere.

Many of the practices which subjugate, exploit, degrade or torture women physically and psychologically are already illegal but the law has turned a blind eye to avoid being labelled racist. This should stop.

Well said Eloethan.
FGM is illegal in Britain, & it is also illegal to take a child abroad to do it. AFIK breast ironing isn't illegal. It should be, & until it is should be treated as child abuse. I don't think 'cultural sensitivity' is the problem - if that was the case FGM wouldn't be illegal - it is more to do with actually proving this has happened. I imagine that could be very difficult as it would require someone suspecting it was going to/has happened, & alerting the relevant authorities.

POGS It has been implied several times on this thread that abuses of this nature have not been prosecuted because of "cultural sensitivity". What evidence is there that abuse of this sort of abuse has been reported but ignored? I did not diminish the seriousness of any form of abuse - I pointed out that there are thousands of children from all backgrounds - including white British - for whom intervention has come too late or not at all.

If it hurts /harms the child mentally or physically, surely it's abuse, and that is well covered by present laws. I agree with Indinana there should be no excuse or exception - I'm not too keen on circumcision either!

With respect Eloethan I for one will happily be seen to part company with your view by arguing exactly what 'does nothing at all to help children at risk' as you call it , is being stopped by those who refuse to accept there are words that describe exactly the barbarity of FGM and Breast Ironing procedures and the use of them .

I also think it is another tactic to divert from subject of the barbarity of FGM and Breast Ironing by stating other obvious dispicable and abhorrent incidents relating to child abuse. No child abuse is acceptable but to try and deminish the severity of one act of abuse by bringing another form of abuse into the equation is pointless .

There are genuine fears this is happening in the UK and an excellent organisation called CAME is working with the Metropolitan Police and Social Services departments to raise awareness.

It's important that people from different cultures are aware that beating their children, "exorcising evil spirits", FGM, breast ironing etc., are all wrong and illegal in this country. I think education is the key and regular talks relating to these sorts of issues should be set up in schools.

There is no evidence that these abuses have been discovered but not pursued due to "cultural sensitivity". I'm not quite sure how it can be determined that breast ironing has occurred unless a child reports it - and I imagine that a child would not want to get a parent into trouble.

Only yesterday it was reported that a young white British mother had been found guilty of stamping to death her 21 month old baby who had, I believe, been on the at risk register virtually since birth. It wasn't "cultural sensitivity" that prevented this child - or thousands of other white British children - from being removed from families that are deemed to pose a potential risk to a child. Social services are under such pressure from an increasing case load and a decreasing staff team, and from constant media/public scrutiny and criticism - either for removing children from their families or for not removing them. There is also a huge shortage of foster parents and suitable children's homes.

In my opinion, using language like "these people", "barbarians", "uneducated people", etc. etc., does nothing whatever to help children at risk.

It was the first time I'd heard of this practice on Sky News this morning, and I was shocked to the core. For God's sake, we are not allowed to smack our children in discipline without there being an uproar and yet this barbaric torture is allowed to go on unchecked. These are little girls, innocent children who have done nothing wrong. They are being mutilated to protect them from marauding men and boys - these, of course, suffer no punishment. Why not mutilate the men to stop them attacking the little girls?
I too am sick, sore and weary of hearing about 'cultural sensitivities'. I cannot believe that anyone would hesitate to condemn this practice on the grounds that it is culturally sensitive. It is mutilation, it is torture, it is child abuse. There can be no defence.

I am sick to the back teeth of 'cultural sensitivities',this is child abuse and nothing less. At the risk of sounding like a bigot ( and I am NOT) there has to be prosecutions and outing of the elders/mosques or whoever that are advocating this. Apart from the appalling cruelty involved, the simple fact is that anything like this is illegal in this country, if I did it to my daughter I would be prosecuted and rightly so. Religion does not give exemption to the rule of law in the UK and it is time we stood up to all these narrow minded old men (mainly) who seem to rule migrant communities. It is also very sad that we all feel that we have to make it clear that we are not racist/bigots/islamophobic/whatever before we feel free to comment on what is a child abuse issue. I do not care whether this is being done by Muslims, fundamental Christians, Jews or Hindus, it is cruel and illegal, end of.