Detroit Doctors Indicted For The Female Genital Mutilation Of Two Little Girls, Police Say

Two Detroit doctors have been indicted for allegedly performing the illegal and brutal female genital mutilation (FGM) procedure on two 7-year-old girls from Minnesota. Doctor Jumana Nagarwala and Fakhruddin Attar, as well as Farida Attar, the doctor’s wife, face charges of FGM and conspiracy.

The Detroit doctors have also been charged with making false statements to law enforcement officers. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala allegedly performed the female genital mutilation inside the Burhani Medical Clinic after the private medical facility owned by Dr. Fakhruddin Attar was closed for the day. The 44-year-old doctor worked in the emergency room at Henry Ford Health System prior to her arrest. The clinic is located in the Livonia suburb of Detroit.

The pair of 7-year-old girls reportedly told FBI agents the genital procedure they underwent was painful. One of the girls said the doctor made her cry but later gave both she and her friend a piece of cake after finishing the procedure. The little girls also said they were told to keep what had happened to them a secret. One of the girls said she thought traveling to Detroit was a “special” girls trip, but upon their arrival, they were told they had to go see a doctor because their “tummies hurt.”

Three charged with genital mutilation of two young girls https://t.co/JzdGscFULt

— Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) April 27, 2017

Dr. Nagarwala claims she was not performing female genital mutilation on the two 7-year-old girls. The Detroit doctor told police investigators she was merely engaging in a Muslim religious practice that did not involve the cutting of sexual organs. According to her attorney, Nagawala only scraped the membrane from the genitalia of the little girls, the Detroit Free Press reports. The doctor said she wrapped the scraped membrane in gauze and gave it to the parents of the girls. The parents then buried the membrane to complete the dictates of a Muslim religious custom.

Medical reports pertaining to the two 7-year-old girls that were obtained by police investigators appear to indicate genital mutilation did occur. The little girls reportedly suffered from multiple severe injuries to their genitals. The noted injuries include the surgical removal of a portion of each girl’s genitalia, scarring, tears, and lacerations to the genital area.

A tip led the police to discover the alleged FGM procedure had been performed on the girls in February. A trail of electronic evidence reportedly supported the claims made by the tipster and led to the arrest and indictments of the two Detroit doctors and clinic manager Farida Attar.

The attorney for Dr. Fakhruddin Attar claims his client has no knowledge of any female genital mutilation being performed at his clinic. The Muslim Detroit doctor claims that while he may have permitted Dr. Nagarwala to use his medical facility he was unaware of what type of procedures she was performing on patients.

Doctor at center of female genital mutilation indictment fired from Henry Ford Health System https://t.co/tyxvZqjR6ypic.twitter.com/CJiVpUw60J

— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) April 27, 2017

Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was arrested while attempting to board a plane to Kenya on April 12. The Detroit doctor was reportedly traveling to visit her daughter. She was handcuffed and charged just two days after the little girls identified her as the doctor who performed the genital mutilation on them at the Burhani Medical Clinic.

The two 7-year-old girls were taken to the clinic by their respective mothers. So far, neither of the mothers, or the fathers of the FGM victims, have been arrested on child abuse or other charges related to the illegal practice allegedly performed at the clinic.

Dr. Fakhruddin Attar and his wife were arrested late last week on the female genital mutilation and related charges. Detroit law enforcement investigators believe they both arranged and assisted Dr. Jumana Nagarwala in performing the illegal procedure.

The indictment against all three of the FGM suspects also states they attempted to keep their participation in the Islamic practice a secret within their Dawoodi Bohra community since 2005, the Daily Mail reports. The Detroit community is comprised of a majority of Indian and Muslim residents. The residents of the community are primarily a part of a Gujarati-speaking Muslim sect who worship at a mosque located in the suburbs of Detroit.

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