Genital mutilation often hiddden: Goward

14 Sep 2012, 9:51 am   -   Source: AAP

NSW Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward says it is difficult to identify the communities that practise genital mutilation.

It is difficult to identify victims of female genital mutilation and the communities which practise it, NSW Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward says.

"The pretext that is often used is that it's a religious custom, and it wouldn't be the first time that religion has been used to mutilate or damage women," she told ABC Radio on Friday.

The minister was commenting after two men and two women were charged in Sydney on Thursday over the alleged female circumcision of two young girls, aged six and seven, which police say occurred in NSW in the past 18 months.

Ms Goward predicted many cases of female genital mutilation in the NSW were unreported, and said it was difficult to identify victims or the communities who practise it.

"It's just anyone's guess," she said.

"We have probably got the most diversified community in Australia and many of them are from countries where this is practised," she said.

"It occurs in countries and communities that are not Islamic and of course there are some Islamic communities that practise it, but there are many others that don't."

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