The Senate approved Sunday in principle a law amending some provisions of the Penal Code with the aim of toughening penalties against female genital mutilation.
Abdullah El-Assar, head of the Senate’s Legislative Committee, said that the amendments aim to counter FGM which is one of the ugliest social phenomena, adding that FGM represents a violation of the sanctity of the human body.
Amendments to the FGM law include increasing the maximum sentence from the current seven years and banning doctors and other medical staff involved in FGM from practising their profession for up to five years.
Under the envisaged changes, prison terms of between five and 20 years will be recommended depending on who performed the surgery and whether it caused permanent damage or death.
The person requesting FGM will also face imprisonment under the proposed amendments.
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