Aussie Women Plead Guilty To Organising Genital Mutilation For Newborn Baby Girl

Two women have pleaded guilty for organising a genital mutilation on a two-week-old girl in Western Australia.

The newborn's mother Sarah Lightbody, 23, and her co-accused, Noridah Binte Mohd, 50, entered their pleas during an appearance in Armadale Magistrates Court yesterday (June 22).

They agreed with the prosecution's evidence that they asked a doctor to illegally cut the baby's genitals in January.

Detectives attached to the Child Abuse Squad launched an investigation into the matter when they learned the women were allegedly trying to organise the procedure on the two-week-old girl as part of their cultural beliefs.

"Practices which may be acceptable by some cultures and in some countries may constitute criminal offences in Western Australia," WA Police said at the time. "It is an offence to commit female genital mutilation in Western Australia."

Police alleged back in January the two women approached a doctor to see if the medical professional was comfortable with the genital mutilation of the two-week-old baby. The doctor refused to do the procedure.

As a result of those inquiries, police were able to charge Lightbody and Mohd, who are from a suburb that falls within the Cannington Police District. They were both been charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Indictable (Principal) Offence.

Following their guilty pleas, Lightbody and Mohd are staring down the possibility of 10 years behind bars.

Australia's most powerful court ruled in 2019 that all forms of female genital mutilation were illegal. Not only is it illegal to be performed in the country, but it's also illegal for someone to travel to another country and have it done.

The tradition is considered a rite of passage in some cultures that helps a girl become a woman, however the illegality of the practice often causes procedures to be done with limited equipment, knowledge or support and can cause serious health issues.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released a report revealing around 53,000 Australian girls and women who were born overseas have been subjected to female genital mutilation.

The World Health Organization believes around 200 million girls and women are alive today and have experienced some type of genital mutilation.

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Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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