Danish-Somali man convicted of caughter’s circumcision

A 57-year-old Danish-Somali man has been sentenced to two years in prison for contributing to the genital mutilation of his then 12-year-old daughter. The crime occurred in an undisclosed location in Somalia in 2014, where the girl was forced into a house and subjected to female circumcision without anesthesia, causing permanent genital damage. The girl was held in Somalia against her will, along with her mother and siblings, but they returned to Denmark in 2020. Two female relatives were also charged; one has been found guilty but not yet sentenced, and the other’s case will be tried separately. Special prosecutor Natalja Fryd Lindberg stated that circumcision is a severe form of sexual violence with no medical justification. The Danish authorities take such crimes seriously and prosecute even if they occur abroad. Compensation for the victim will be decided at a later date.