(No caption)
A Detroit Emergency Room physician faces charges of performing genital mutilation on girls around the ages of 6 to 8. It's one of the first cases of its kind under a federal law criminalizing the procedure, authorities say.
Dr. Jumana Nagarwala of Northville is charged with committing the crime in her Livonia medical office, the Justice Department announced on Thursday. Authorities allege that some victims traveled interstate to have Nagarwala perform the procedure.
She's an emergency room physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Female genital mutilation, which is also referred to as female genital cutting and female circumcision, involves the removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The ritual is practiced in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
“Female genital mutilation constitutes a particularly brutal form of violence against women and girls. It is also a serious federal felony in the United States,” says Acting Detroit U.S. Attorney Daniel Lemisch. “The practice has no place in modern society and those who perform FGM (female genital mutilation) on minors will be held accountable under federal law.”
Dr. Jumana Nagarwala (Henry Ford Hospital photo)
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco said in a statement;
“According to the complaint, despite her oath to care for her patients, Dr. Nagarwala is alleged to have performed horrifying acts of brutality on the most vulnerable victims. “The Department of Justice is committed to stopping female genital mutilation in this country, and will use the full power of the law to ensure that no girls suffer such physical and emotional abuse.”
David Gelios, head of the Detroit FBI, described the practice as "barbaric."
