Man who sent girl to Iraq for FGM first convicted in England and Wales
A former PhD student has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for plotting to send a young girl to Iraq for female genital mutilation (FGM), the first conviction of its kind in England and Wales.
Emad Kaky, 47, from Swansea was found guilty of conspiracy to commit FGM last month, the first time anyone has been convicted of a conspiracy charge in relation to FGM.
During a two-week trial we heard how Kaky had arranged for a child to travel from Britain to Iraq, where he arranged for her to be subjected to FGM and forced into marriage.
The plans were discovered, before the crimes could be carried out, by a witness who arranged for her to travel back to Britain and reported Kaky to the police.
Kaky was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit FGM and forced marriage, which he denied.
However, sentencing Kaky at Nottingham Crown Court, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said his plans were “barbaric”.
“You did everything you could to make sure this happened. However, I make some correction for the fact that FGM did not take place, and more importantly, fortunately (the girl) was not aware of these plans,” she said.
“This crime calls for a deterrent punishment. What you did, what you planned, was barbaric.”
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was able to proceed with the case after proving that FGM is a criminal offense in Iraq. It provided the court with evidence that Kaky had booked and paid for the trip to Iraq while living in Nottingham.
Messages on his phone indicated that his intention was for the victim to be subjected to FGM and forced into marriage, and that he called FGM “normal”.
Janine McKinney, chief prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said: “This has been a ground-breaking prosecution, not only because it is the first conviction of its kind, but also because of the message it sends to people who may be vulnerable to this horrific form of abuse.”
NHS figures show that the number of hospital and GP visits about FGM in England increased by 15% in the 2023-2024 financial year.
Lawyer Geraldine Kelly told the court that Kaky’s academic achievements as a PhD candidate at the University of Nottingham were “respected” and “impressive”, and that losing his job was “in itself a form of punishment”.
The University of Nottingham said Kaky was a visiting researcher when the offenses came to light.
A spokesperson said: “There is no place for such barbaric offenses in our society and our thoughts are with those affected by these actions. After Emad Kaky’s arrest, the university ended its cooperation with him and withdrew the invitation to him as a visiting academic.”