Section 74: Duty to notify police of female genital mutilation
309.This section inserts a new section 5B into the 2003 Act. The new section would place a duty on persons who work in a “regulated profession” in England and Wales, namely healthcare professionals, teachers and social care workers, to notify the police when, in the course of their work, they discover that an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl who is under 18 (new section 5B(1), (2) and (5)). The duty would not apply where a previous notification has been made by someone in the same profession in respect of a victim (new section 5B(6)). The term “discovers” in this context would cover circumstances either where the victim specifically discloses to the regulated professional that she has been the subject of FGM, or where the regulated professional has observed the physical signs of FGM (new section 5B(3) and (4)). A notification made under new section 5B would not breach any duty of confidence or other restriction on the disclosure of information (new section 5B(7)).
310.New section 5B(8) to (10) provides for a regulation-making power (subject to the affirmative procedure) to enable the Secretary of State to add to, remove from, or otherwise alter, the description of persons regarded as working in a “regulated profession”.
