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MANDATORY REPORTING DUTY · FGM ACT 2003 s.5B

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

FGM is child abuse and a criminal offence under English law. This guide covers the mandatory reporting duty for regulated professionals, at-risk indicators, peak risk periods, referral pathway, and the WHO classification of FGM types.

FGM Act 2003 Mandatory Reporting 2015 KCSIE 2026 Annex A
170,000+
Women and girls in England and Wales estimated to be living with FGM (City University)
6,500+
Girls under 13 in England and Wales at risk (BMJ estimate)
July to Sept
Peak risk period, "cutting season" during summer school holidays
Criminal
Performing or arranging FGM carries up to 14 years' imprisonment

⚠️ The Mandatory Reporting Duty: FGM Act 2003 s.5B

A regulated professional (teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers) who discovers that FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18 must report to the police. This is a personal, non-delegable duty. Reporting to your DSL does not fulfil it.

When the duty applies:
  • ▸ Girl discloses that FGM has been performed on her
  • ▸ You observe physical signs consistent with FGM
  • ▸ A third party discloses that FGM has been performed on a girl
How to report:
  • ▸ Call 101 to make the report to police
  • ▸ Also make a referral to children's social care / MASH
  • ▸ Record your actions and the time you reported

Note: The duty is to report known cases, not suspected future risk. Suspected risk → refer to children's social care under s.17/s.47 Children Act 1989.

🔬 WHO Classification of FGM Types
Type 1, Clitoridectomy

Partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or prepuce

Type 2, Excision

Partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora

Type 3, Infibulation

Narrowing of the vaginal opening by cutting and repositioning

Type 4, Other

All other harmful procedures including piercing, incising, scraping

All four types are illegal in England and Wales under the FGM Act 2003. It is also illegal to take a UK national or permanent resident abroad for FGM to be performed.

⚠️ Risk Indicators for Future FGM

These indicators suggest a girl may be at future risk. Refer to children's social care, not police (police reporting is for known cases only):

  • ▸ Family originates from a high-prevalence country (e.g. Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Gambia, Guinea)
  • ▸ Older sister has undergone FGM
  • ▸ Girl is approaching puberty and family discuss "becoming a woman"
  • ▸ Long unexplained absence planned, particularly to countries with high prevalence
  • ▸ Parents insist FGM is a religious or cultural requirement
  • ▸ Girl says she is to have a "special procedure" or "cut"
📅 Peak Risk Periods & School Duties

🗓️ High-Risk Periods

  • ▸ Summer holidays (July to September): highest risk, with a long window for recovery before school returns
  • ▸ Christmas and Easter breaks
  • ▸ Before puberty begins (ages 5 to 8 most common globally)

🏫 School Action Before Holidays

  • ▸ DSLs should brief staff on FGM risk indicators before summer term ends
  • ▸ Consider a welfare check conversation with at-risk girls before the holiday
  • ▸ Share concerns with MASH before the holiday so a check can be arranged
📚 Key Legislation
  • ▸ Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 : prohibition of FGM, extra-territorial jurisdiction, mandatory reporting (s.5B added 2015)
  • ▸ Serious Crime Act 2015 : inserted s.5B mandatory reporting duty; introduced FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs)
  • ▸ Children Act 1989 : basis for s.17 and s.47 referrals for future risk
  • ▸ KCSIE 2026 Annex A : mandatory training requirement for all school staff
  • ▸ Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance on FGM (HM Government, 2020)

📞 Key Contacts

Police (mandatory report)
101 · Non-emergency reporting line
Report known FGM cases here
NSPCC FGM Helpline
0800 028 3550 · help@nspcc.org.uk
Free · 24/7 · professionals & public
MASH / Children's Social Care
Your local authority number
For future risk referrals
Karma Nirvana
0800 5999 247
HBA & FGM specialist support
→ Honour-Based Abuse Hub → Forced Marriage Hub