Government statistics released today show the uptake of Forced Marriage Protection Orders and Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders remains very low, with only 72 and 32 orders made respectively between April – June 2017. 

Commenting, Lib Dem peer Lynne Featherstone, who brought in Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders as a minister in the last government, said:

“Whilst it is encouraging to see more Forced Marriage Protection Orders and Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders being made the numbers are still incredibly low.

“More information and training must be made available to school staff so that they can spot the signs of vulnerability and act appropriately. Without better training these horrific practices will continue under the radar and unreported.

“We should be empowering teachers to report cases but this will only happen if they feel confident in their understanding of the issues at play. The government should ensure the funding is available for this – passing legislation alone will not do.”