Officers with the Metropolitan Police arrested two people during an operation at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday (September 6) to help detect and prevent forced marriage, honour-based abuse, breast ironing and female genital mutilation (FGM).
Three inbound flights were targeted in the proactive operation and adults travelling with young girls were told of the risks of FGM and its illegal status in the UK.
The Met's Project Azure has been set up with the aims of tackling FGM and sees police working with Aviation Policing and other groups including Border Force and Heathrow Airport.
Child taken into police protection
A 33-year-old woman from Milton Keynes and a 26-year-old man from south-east London were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit child cruelty.
An 11-year-old girl travelling with them was taken into police protection and enquiries are ongoing.
Since April 1 this year there have been 95 referrals to police in London over FGM concerns and a total of 450 referrals since 2009.
FGM survivor Sarian Karim Kamara, who now campaigns against the practice, said: “In the countries where it is practised it is fully accepted as part of normal life and there are elements within the wider ceremony that would be quite nice if it wasn't for the harm.”
FGM is illegal under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 which makes it illegal to participate in any sort of arrangement to perform the activity inside or outside the UK, and carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
The practice is prevalent in Somalia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
'A barbaric crime'
Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said: “FGM is a barbaric crime and every woman and girl in the UK deserves to live free from it. We will do everything we can to end this crime.
“Hundreds of Border Force and police officers at UK ports and airports are trained to look for potential victims and apprehend perpetrators. I commend the dedication of the Metropolitan Police, Border Force and the charities and organisations involved at Heathrow Airport to keep these girls safe.”
Representatives from Hillingdon children's Services an Barnardo's were also present for the operation at Heathrow on Tuesday.
Officers spoke with 139 people from 49 families at the airport, but only 22 families were aware that FGM is a crime.
The two people arrested were taken to a central London police station.
'FGM constitutes child abuse'
Detective Chief Superintendent Ivan Balhatchet from the Met's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command said: “FGM is illegal and constitutes child abuse.
“A lot of work has been done to raise awareness over the last few years of this horrific practice, highlighting the short and long-term health risks and the absence of any religious teaching that supports it. However, we are not complacent and more still needs to be done.
“We are engaging with passengers travelling from countries where FGM is practised and hope to educate and prevent anyone involved in this practice, as well as highlighting the support that is available for victims subject to this horrific offence.
Police tackle 'breast ironing'
The operation also hopes to tackle the practice of breast flattening or breast ironing – a harmful practice that involved pounding, pummelling or massaging pubescent ' breasts using heated or hard objects to stop them developing or to make them disappear.
It has been carried out for a number of reasons including to stop girls being sexually attractive to men, to prevent early child pregnancy or marriage, or to conform to tradition.
Countries where this practice is believed to take place include Cameroon, Benin, Chad, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Kenya, Tongo and Zimbabwe.
