Closed petition Make the practice of breast ironing young females a specific criminal offence

Closed on 10 October 2019

Female Genital Mutilation was made illegal by an Act of Parliament in 2003. It took 15 years for the first successful prosecution however prosecution there has now been . The practice of “breast ironing” of developing girls with eg heated spoons should similarly be made illegal.

The National Education Union has asked for awareness to be raised in schools. The BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire carries this story on 26th March 2019 and Conservative MP Nicky Morgan has spoken out saying that schools have a very important role to play in making girls aware that the practice is not normal. These girls need as much protection as those for whom FGM is a risk. They, too, are physically, mentally and emotionally scarred not least as it's often their mother who performs the “ironing”.