Two 7-year-old girls were taken by their families from Minnesota to Michigan and underwent genital mutilation at the hands of a Detroit-area doctor, according to federal prosecutors, who allege that the physician had been conducting this "horrifying" procedure for many years.
Jumana Nagarwala, 44, of Northville, Mich., was charged in U.S. District Court in Detroit with female genital mutilation, transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and making a false statement to a federal officer.
Under questioning Monday by a federal agent, Nagarwala said she was aware of the procedure being illegal and denied the allegations. A message from the Star Tribune was left with her attorney Thursday seeking reaction to the charges.
The Justice Department said the case is believed to be the first brought under U.S. law that criminalized female genital mutilation. The World Health Organization has long held that the cultural and religious practice is a human rights violation and is carried out for the purpose of stifling female sexuality.
Nagarwala heard the allegations during a brief appearance in U.S. District Court and was returned to jail to await another hearing Monday. Prosecutors want to keep her locked up without bond.
According to the charging document:
On Feb. 3, two women brought two 7-year-old girls from Minnesota to a hotel in Farmington Hills, a Detroit suburb for a "special" girls trip.
One of the girls told a federal investigator in an interview Monday that she and the other girl needed to see a doctor because "our tummies hurt."