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New legislation signed into law by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday makes female genital mutilation a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The laws apply both to doctors who conduct the procedure and parents who transport a child to undergo it. "Those who commit these horrendous crimes should be held accountable for their actions, and these bills stiffen the penalties for offenders while providing additional support to victims," Gov. Snyder said in a statement. "This legislation is an important step toward eliminating this despicable practice in Michigan while empowering victims to find healing and justice."
The governor also signed a bill allowing for a health professional's license or registration to be revoked if he or she is convicted of female genital mutilation.
Michigan is the 26th state to ban the practice; the state laws go into effect in October. The practice was banned in the United States in 1996, but Michigan's laws impose harsher penalties than the federal law. The package of bills comes amid the federal criminal trial of an emergency room doctor in Michigan, Jumana Nagarwala, charged with performing the procedure on multiple girls at a clinic in suburban Detroit. The Department of Justice says it believes the case is the first to be brought under the federal law. Another doctor and his wife are also charged in the case, the AP reports.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Friday July 14 2017, @08:45PM (2 children)
I'm pretty liberal, but that stuff is a bunch of horseshit. It's mutilation, plain and simple: any time you perform a medically-unnecessary procedure, it's mutilation. Getting your ears or nose pierced is mutilation too, though it's so minor that it's not a big problem (and it's generally only done on adults). Why are they trying to discourage accurate language to avoid offending religious nuts?
Same goes for male genital mutilation too: it's mutilation, and it's not necessary. Humans should not be physically altered before they're old enough to consent, unless there is a clear medical reason to do so.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday July 14 2017, @11:36PM
Because they will mutilate your head off just like they mutilate genitals off. Also, feminist liberals think it's okay.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Saturday July 15 2017, @05:08PM
That's best practice for intersex people and it should be best practice for everyone.
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