Oh look, some cultural enrichment in QLD.
A Queensland trial into female genital mutilation has heard prosecution witnesses had extensive histories of lying and key medical evidence could have been interpreted differently by doctors not familiar with the case.
On Monday, a Somali-born mother pleaded “not guilty” to taking her daughters, then aged nine and 12, from Australia to the African country in April 2015 to undergo the procedure.
The mother and daughters cannot be named for legal reasons in the first prosecution of its type under Queensland law.
Paediatrician Dr John Mills examined the girls on their return from Somalia in November 2015 and his reports are central to the prosecution of their mother.
Dr Mills told the court he stands by his findings the two Australian-born girls received female genital mutilation because he knew the background to the case at the time.
He examined the girls at Logan Hospital after police began investigating the alleged genital mutilation based on a tip-off from one of their older step-sisters.
Two step-sisters, under cross-examination, denied they had coached their half-sisters to say they were mutilated in Somalia and defence accusations they were liars.
They confirmed extensive criminal histories to the court, one serving time for the torture of a six-year-old boy, and both admitting to previously making false statements to police.
Dr Mills evidence included a detailed description of the female anatomy and of his examination of the two girls.
“The finding that, in my opinion, was abnormal is the area around clitoral hood was abnormally flat and the contour was not there that was normally there,” he said.
“You’d have to think it occurred by some sort of cutting."
Dr Mills is a child protection adviser and is trained in the examination of children suspected of being sexually abused.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/witness-in-female-genital-mutilation-case-had-histor...
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