Addis Ababa – An Ethiopian woman convicted of the genital mutilation of her two-year-old daughter has been deported after serving a ten-year sentence in the United States.
Khalid Adem, 41, was convicted of aggravated battery and cruelty to children in the first degree after mutilating her daughter with a pair of scissors.
Adem’s case is the first criminal conviction in the United States for female genital mutilation, and became the catalyst for the specific criminalisation of female genital mutilation under US laws state law.
Female genital mutilation or cutting is a federal crime.
It may result in imprisonment and potential removal from the US.
Following the deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was instrumental in the conviction of Adem, members of the public have been urged to report children’s rights violations.
Since 2003, ICE has arrested more than 380 individuals for human rights related violations.
During that same period, ICE obtained deportation orders against and physically removed 785 known or suspected human rights violators from the United States.
“The elimination of female genital mutilation/cutting has broad implications for the health and human rights of women and girls, as well as societies at large,” said ICE’s Sean Gallagher.