1549
Active Member
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/10/27/female.circumcision.ap/index.html
An ethiopian immigrant is on trial for cutting off his daughter's clitoris. The pracitce is known as female genital mutilation to the rest of the world, but it is common in rural parts of Africa--including Ethiopia.
Three details of the case:
1) The man contests this practice does not take place in the Ethiopian city he originates from, only from rural parts of the country.
2) The daughter testified against the father, but the daughter lives with her mother. The man on trial is divorced from his wife and believes the wife's family is responsible for both the mutilation and forcing the daughter to testify against him.
3) The man faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
The girl was 2 at the time, and is seven now. I do not trust a persons memory from when they are two. This girl was probably under a lot of pressure to "remember" a certain way from both the father and the mother...if I was a jurror I would not give the daughter's testimony much weight.
This is a very interesting case. No matter who is responsible, this is a nasty tradition, that should not be accepted in the United States. It can have a severe emotional impact on the female victims and of course physical problems can come up as well (after all, the procedure is done with razors, scissors, knives, etc.).
My questions:
1) Is the punishment too harsh?
2) What stance should the U.S. take on foreign customs of this nature?
3) Would the custom be acceptable if performed in a more professional manner?
My answers: Yes, don't allow it, no.
-This should be treated differently than male circumcision because the victims are usually not babies, I think traditionally the procedure is performed as they reach the age before marriage...or in this girl's case, the age of 2.
What do you think?
An ethiopian immigrant is on trial for cutting off his daughter's clitoris. The pracitce is known as female genital mutilation to the rest of the world, but it is common in rural parts of Africa--including Ethiopia.
Three details of the case:
1) The man contests this practice does not take place in the Ethiopian city he originates from, only from rural parts of the country.
2) The daughter testified against the father, but the daughter lives with her mother. The man on trial is divorced from his wife and believes the wife's family is responsible for both the mutilation and forcing the daughter to testify against him.
3) The man faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
The girl was 2 at the time, and is seven now. I do not trust a persons memory from when they are two. This girl was probably under a lot of pressure to "remember" a certain way from both the father and the mother...if I was a jurror I would not give the daughter's testimony much weight.
This is a very interesting case. No matter who is responsible, this is a nasty tradition, that should not be accepted in the United States. It can have a severe emotional impact on the female victims and of course physical problems can come up as well (after all, the procedure is done with razors, scissors, knives, etc.).
My questions:
1) Is the punishment too harsh?
2) What stance should the U.S. take on foreign customs of this nature?
3) Would the custom be acceptable if performed in a more professional manner?
My answers: Yes, don't allow it, no.
-This should be treated differently than male circumcision because the victims are usually not babies, I think traditionally the procedure is performed as they reach the age before marriage...or in this girl's case, the age of 2.
What do you think?