Ga. Man Accused of Circumcising Daughter

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
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Ga. Man Accused of Circumcising Daughter
By Associated Press
Wed Oct 25, 6:53 PM

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - An immigrant from Africa has gone on trial on charges alleging he circumcised his 2-year-old daughter with a pair of scissors to avoid bringing shame on his family.

It appears to be a groundbreaking prosecution for a case of female genital mutilation in the U.S., said Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of Equality Now, a New York-based human rights group that focuses on violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.

Khalid Adem could face 40 years in prison if convicted in Gwinnett County on the charges of aggravated battery and cruelty to children.

Prosecutor Marty First acknowledged that Adem, who was born in Ethiopia, is from a culture that practices female circumcision.

"But circumcision is just a nice way of saying mutilation," First told the jury in his opening statement Tuesday. "There is no doubt that she was mutilated. And this is not something you go to a doctor and do because no doctor will do it. He did this to his own baby."

The practice, a tradition in some African cultures, is widely condemned by human rights groups and has been outlawed in the United States since 1997.

Police have said that Adem used scissors to circumcise his daughter in their Duluth apartment in 2001. The child's mother said she didn't discover it until more than a year later.

"He did not do that. He never wanted it to happen," defense attorney W. Mark Hill told the jury. "He will tell you that. And that only leaves two people. The people who were primarily taking care of the child. The mother and the grandmother."

First said the girl told Gwinnett County authorities that her father cut her. The prosecutor quoted Adem as saying in late 2002 and early 2003 that if the girl were not circumcised, "it will be a shame to the family."

"He said he wanted (the girl) to have it done so that she will not be promiscuous," First added. He also said Adem implied he had already circumcised the girl.

Hill denied Adem ever made any of those statements and asked how the victim's mother could not have known for more than a year that the girl was circumcised.

Hill said Fortunate Adem's allegations stem from a nasty divorce and a custody battle over the girl.

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UPDATE:

Father Convicted in Genital Mutilation
By ERRIN HAINES, Associated Press Writer
Wed Nov 1, 11:44 AM

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A jury Wednesday found an Ethiopian immigrant guilty of the genital mutilation of his 2-year-old daughter in what was believed to be the first criminal case in the United States involving the ancient African tradition.

Khalid Adem, 30, was convicted of aggravated battery and cruelty to children. He could get up to 40 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Adem used scissors to remove his daughter's clitoris in his family's Atlanta-area apartment in 2001. The child's mother, Fortunate Adem, said she did not discover it until more than a year later.

During her father's trial, the girl, now 7, clutched a teddy bear as she testified on videotape that her father "cut me on my private part."

Federal law specifically bans the practice of genital mutilation, but many states do not have a law addressing it. Georgia lawmakers, with the support of the girl's mother, passed an anti-mutilation law last year. But Adem was not tried under that law since it did not exist when his daughter was cut.

During the trial, Adem testified he never circumcised his daughter or asked anyone else to do so. He said he grew up in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and considers the practice more prevalent in rural areas.

Adem's attorney acknowledged that the girl had been cut, but implied that the family of the girl's mother, who immigrated from South Africa, may have been responsible. The Adems divorced three years ago, and attorney Mark Hill suggested that the couple's daughter was coached to testify against her father by her mother, who has full custody of the child.

Adem, who cried throughout the trial and during his testimony, was asked what he thought of someone who believes in the practice. He replied: "The word I can say is 'mind in the gutter.' He is a moron."

The practice crosses ethnic and cultural lines and is not tied to a particular religion. Activists say it is intended to deny women sexual pleasure. In its most extreme form, the clitoris and parts of the labia are removed and the labia that remain are stitched together.

Knives, razors or even sharp stones are usually used, according to a 2001 department report. The tools often are not sterilized, and often, many girls are circumcised at the same ceremony, leading to infection.

It is unknown how many girls have died from the procedure, either during the cutting or from infections, or years later in childbirth. Nightmares, depression, shock and feelings of betrayal are common psychological side effects, according to a 2001 federal report.

Since 2001, the State Department estimates that up to 130 million women worldwide have undergone circumcision.

 

pinion9

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May 5, 2005
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Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.
 

ryan256

Platinum Member
Jul 22, 2005
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Well.... according to his attorney he isn't the one that did it. He said... she said. Still its too bad for the little girl though :(
 

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
Aug 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

Yeah, I really don't understand why they call it "circumcision". It is more akin to turning her into a eunuch.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
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An immigrant from Africa has gone on trial on charges alleging he circumcised his 2-year-old daughter with a pair of scissors to avoid bringing shame on his family.

ok, somebody tell me how the family will know if his daughter had a clit? do they have a clit inspection party or somthing?

i hope he does those 40 years in jail, female circumcision is nothing more than a way to control women. :|
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
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Oct 30, 2000
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The girl should be old enough to point the blame
 

pinion9

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May 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

Yeah, I really don't understand why they call it "circumcision". It is more akin to turning her into a eunuch.

I agree. The term is misleading. Getting your lips trimmed (I hear it is very popular now) would be closer to circumcision.
 

Brutuskend

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Apr 2, 2001
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The amazing part of the article to ME was that apparently up until 1997 you could LEGALLY do this to someone here in the US!! :shocked:
 

pinion9

Banned
May 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
The girl should be old enough to point the blame

Unless she has been brainwashed. Kids can very easily make up false memories. I've seen it happen personally (although not with things even remotely close to this.)

I would be more inclined to think that it would be the man that did it.
 

pinion9

Banned
May 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: Brutuskend
The amazing part of the article to ME was that apparently up until 1997 you could LEGALLY do this to someone here in the US!! :shocked:

I think it was a problem that we didn't see that often, so there was no need for a law.
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
I didn't even know there was such a thing as female circumcision... :Q
It's a truly disgusting practice. They need to hang this guy.
 

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
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Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

Holy crap, that's horrible.
 

OrganizedChaos

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
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Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

Holy crap, that's horrible.

thats the light version, check out this wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision

don't open pics if at work
 

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
Aug 24, 2001
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Originally posted by: Brutuskend
The amazing part of the article to ME was that apparently up until 1997 you could LEGALLY do this to someone here in the US!! :shocked:

Probably because it was rarely if ever done and certainly nobody was aware of it. You can't make a law against something this insane if you had never heard about it.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
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Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

Holy crap, that's horrible.

thats the light version, check out this wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision

don't open pics if at work

would somebody please tell me why men who started these practices are so obsessed with women masturbating? why are they so concered if a woman gets herself off??? I bet that the men who wrote these stupid customs whack their sh*t 4 times a day.

 

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
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Originally posted by: pinion9
Before some idiot chimes in saying "Male circumcision is legal!" please let me point out that what this guy did was cut the clitoris off of a 2 year old girl with a pair of scissors. She will not feel pleasure in that area. It is wholly different than removing a little extra skin.

How is this any different in the base sense? Both were archaic practices driven by cleanliness in a time when bathin and hygene weren't prevelent among societies. Both were further driven by religious foolishness.

Both are useless in today's modern world with soap and water. Both are archaic and still religiousely driven.