Women and Justice: Keywords

Legislation

Ghana Criminal Code Part II, Chapter 3 (Female Circumcision) (2003 Amendment Act (FGM)) (2003)


Female genital mutilation or female genital cutting, Harmful traditional practices

The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act introduced Section 69A, which prohibits female genital mutilation. In 2007, Parliament amended 69A, and expanded the definition of liability to include anyone who “carries out female genital mutilation and excises, infibulates or otherwise mutilates the whole or any part of the labia minora, labia majora and the clitoris of another person” and specified that liability on summary conviction mandated imprisonment for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years.



Domestic Case Law

N. de pourvoi: 84-95759 Cour de Cassation, chambre criminelle (1986)


Female genital mutilation or female genital cutting, Female infanticide and feticide

Two parents sought the assistance of a non-identified female in carrying out a circumcision of their daughter, then aged 21 months and 25 days. The infant’s parents proceeded to assist the non-identified female in the act by immobilising their child throughout the operation. The child subsequently suffered from an external hemorrhage caused by an aperture of the wound, causing anaemia and loss of appetite. The infant’s parents did not at this stage bring the child’s critical condition to the attention of a doctor or emergency services. The child died shortly thereafter. The infant’s parents were convicted of voluntary grievous bodily harm resulting in the involuntary death of a minor which is prohibited in accordance with article 312 of the French Penal Code and failing to assist in the prevention of the child’s death. The case demonstrates the severity with which the French courts will hold parents liable for not only assisting in the practice of female circumcision, but also for failing to prevent the adverse consequences that it may entail.

Deux parents ont obtenus l’assistance d’une troisième personne pour circoncir leur fille, agée de 21 mois et 25 jours. Les parents du nourrisson ont assisté à l’acte par immobilisant leur enfant. Par la suite, le nourrisson a souffert d’une hémmoragie externe, ce qui a causé l’anémie et une perte de l’apétit chez l’enfant. Les parents n’ont pas porté l’attention d’un médecin ni des services de secours à l’état de santé critique de l’enfant. Peu de temps après, l’enfant périt. Les parents ont étés condamnés de maux corporelles graves et volontaires resultant en la mort involontaire d’une mineure, ainsi de ne pas aider en la prevention du mort de l’enfant, ce qui est interdite en accordance avec l’article 312 de la Code pénale française. Les parents ont aussi étées trouvés en violation de la Convention européenne de la droit de l’homme. Les cours français tiendront responsible non seulement les parents qui assistant à la circoncision feminine mais aussi ceux qui ne faites pas l’éffort de prévenir les consequences negatives de cette pratique.