Law & Evidence

FGM · England & Wales

Jurisdiction: England & WalesChecked: 27 Aug 2026

What	FGM is illegal under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. Civil FGM Protection Orders are available. Section 5B creates a specific mandatory-reporting duty for defined known under-18 cases for specified professionals.
Why	Criminal law, civil protection and professional safeguarding responsibilities serve related but distinct protective purposes.
Who	The section 5B duty applies to specified regulated health/social-care professionals and teachers in England and Wales in defined known cases.
How	Known cases within the duty are reported to police. Suspected and at-risk cases are handled through wider safeguarding procedures and appropriate multi-agency routes.
Limits	The specific reporting duty is not a universal rule for every suspicion, every adult disclosure or every professional. Law does not replace person-centred safeguarding, healthcare or service access.
Practice	Identify age, facts, role and jurisdiction before stating a duty. Use maintained official guidance and local procedure.

This is an educational authority record, not case-specific legal advice.