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FM (FGM) Sudan CG [2007] UKAIT 00060
Representation:
For the Appellants: Ms K Cronin, Counsel, instructed by Danielle Cohen Solicitors
For the Respondent: Mr P Tranter, Senior Home Office Presenting Officer
Significant action is being taken in Sudan, both within government and by NGOs, to combat the practice of female genital mutilation in all its forms. Legal sanctions are, however, unlikely to be applied where a woman has been subjected by her family to FGM. There is in general no real risk of a woman being subjected to FGM at the instigation of persons who are not family members. As a general matter, the risk of FGM being inflicted on an unmarried woman will depend on the attitude of her family, most particularly her parents but including her extended family. A woman who comes from an educated family and/or a family of high social status is as such less likely to experience family pressure to submit to FGM. It is, however, not possible to say that such a background will automatically lead to a finding that she is not at real risk.
The risk of FGM from extended family members will depend on a variety of factors, including the age and vulnerability of the woman concerned, the attitude and whereabouts of her parents and the location and "reach" of the extended family. If a woman's parents are opposed to FGM, they will normally
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