
A mother and former midwife convicted over genital mutilation of two young girls may not serve jail time despite being found guilty, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The mother, who cannot be named, organised retired midwife, Kubra Magennis, 72, to perform the mutilations upon her two daughters when they were only seven and six.
The women have received 15-month sentences and referrals to a home detention assessment.
Community leader, Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri, 59, was also found guilty and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for being an accessory after the fact.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Peter Johnson told the women they would have received harsher penalties if the offences occurred after May 20, 2014 when parliament raised the penalty from seven to 22 years.
The court heard the mother did not intend to have genital mutilation or ‘khatna’ performed on her remaining daughters.
‘Khatna’ is a process that involves nicking or cutting a girl’s clitoris in the presence of female elders, ABC News reports.
It has been reported that when the two girls were interviewed, the older girl, then aged 9, said she had received “a little cut down there” while her sister, then aged 6, said she had been “hurt in the bottom”.
