Doctor and parents charged over fatal FGM case

A retired doctor and the parents of a 12-year-old girl who died after female genital mutilation (FGM) surgery are to stand trial in Egypt, with child rights campaigners calling for jail terms to deter others from the illegal practice. Prosecutor-General Hamada El-Sawy has ordered the referral of the trio to the criminal court. A report on the IoL site notes that Dr Abdel Rashwan and the parents of Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud were arrested last month after her death at a private clinic in Manfalout. They were then released on bail which caused public outrage. 'It is a serious step towards putting the defendants behind bars,' said Randa Fakhr El Deen, executive director of the Union Against Harmful Practices on Women and Children. Genital cutting was banned in Egypt in 2008 but a 2016 survey by the UN Children's Fund found 87% of women and girls aged 15-49 had undergone the ritual.