South Yorkshire Police v The Mother & Ors

Facts

South Yorkshire Police applied for a Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order in respect of the two young daughters of the respondent parents, F1 and F2. The concerns originated in a disclosure that the mother had herself undergone female genital mutilation as a child, coupled with plans for the family to travel to Sudan. Earlier proceedings brought by the local authority in 2023 had been withdrawn, with no final order sought; following that outcome the police issued the present application, and interim protective measures were put in place during the proceedings. The parents consistently opposed the making of any final order, and for much of the litigation they were unrepresented, having been refused public funding when they first applied and obliged to appeal in order to secure representation. The children were represented throughout by their children's guardian, who repeatedly questioned the adequacy of the evidence relied upon by the police. At a hearing on 2 March 2026 HHJ Pemberton directed the instruction of a suitably qualified expert to assess the risk within the family. Professors Tamsin Bradley and Nafisa Mohamed Abdel Bedri reported on 14 April 2026, assessing the risk as minimal or very low and recommending that no final order be imposed. The police then accepted that the evidential basis could not be maintained and applied for permission to withdraw; the parents and the guardian invited the court to dismiss the application and determine the matter finally.