Man jailed in 'landmark' FGM conspiracy case

Emad Kaky was jailed for four and a half years on Thursday

A university academic found guilty of conspiring to commit female genital mutilation (FGM) in a "landmark case" has been jailed.

Emad Kaky, who lived in Nottingham at the time he offended, arranged for a young girl to travel to Iraq, where she would have been subjected to FGM and forced into marriage.

The 47-year-old was previously convicted of two charges - forced marriage and conspiracy to commit FGM - and jailed for four and a half years on Thursday.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the FGM conviction was the first of its kind in England and Wales.

Sentencing Kaky at Nottingham Crown Court, Judge Nirmal Shant said: "FGM is - as the courts have previously described it - a barbaric practice and a serious crime which involves deliberate physical mutilation, and it is usually inflicted on women who are young and vulnerable."

The judge said there had been an element of "cultural pressure" behind the offending.

However, she said Kaky had previously been able to resist cultural pressure when he himself had married for love, rather than having an arranged marriage.

The court heard the offences happened in 2019, but it took several years for Kaky to be charged due to the complexity of the case.

His plans were uncovered by a witness, who arranged for the victim to travel back to the UK and reported Kaky to the police.

Prosecutors presented evidence showing Kaky, who now lives in Swansea in Wales, had booked and paid for the trip to Iraq while living in Nottingham.

WhatsApp messages retrieved from his phone also showed he intended the victim to be subjected to FGM and forced into marriage.

Kaky, 47, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court

FGM has been a criminal offence in England and Wales since 1985.

The CPS said this was the third FGM conviction in England and Wales, but the first time a person had been convicted of conspiracy to commit FGM.

Janine McKinney, chief crown prosecutor for CPS East Midlands, said: "Today, Emad Kaky has faced the consequences of his actions in trying to get a young, innocent girl subjected to female genital mutilation and to be forced into a marriage not of her choosing.

"This has been a landmark prosecution, not just because it is the first conviction of its kind, but for the message it sends to people who may be vulnerable to this horrific form of abuse.

"During the trial we presented evidence that the defendant considered this behaviour to be normal. The law is clear that there is no place for this unacceptable practice in society and the Crown Prosecution Service, police and other law enforcement agencies will work together to bring perpetrators to justice."

'Barbaric offences'

The judge said Kaky's lack of previous convictions and his background as a "professional man" were mitigating factors.

Kaky completed a PhD at the University of Nottingham in 2017, and was a visiting scholar from an international university at the time the offences came to light.

A University of Nottingham spokesperson said: "Following the arrest of Emad Kaky, the university ended its association with him and withdrew the invitation to him as a visiting academic.

"There is no place for such barbaric offences in our society and our thoughts are with those who have been affected by these actions."