Decoration or Mutilation? Female Genital Piercing and the Law
| Author | Ruth Gaffney-Rhys |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00220183221104399 |
| Published date | 01 August 2022 |
| Date | 01 August 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Decoration or Mutilation? Female
Genital Piercing and the Law
Ruth Gaffney-Rhys
University of the West of England, UK
Abstract
This article assesses the legality of Female Genital Piercing (FGP), which refers to the piercing
of female genitalia to adorn it with jewellery, for decoration or sexual enhancement. The pos-
ition in the UK is uncertain because the World Health Organisation regards piercing as a form
of FGM, which is a criminal offence in all parts of the UK. After analysing the stance adopted by
the international community, the paper examines the legislation that criminalises FGM and
considers whether FGP could fall within its scope. The paper concludes that female genital
piercings could constitute FGM in limited circumstances, but even then, it may not be in the
public interest to initiate a criminal prosecution. This lack of certainty is problematic for pro-
fessional piercers who would welcome legislation providing an express exemption for genital
piercings performed on consenting adult women.
Keywords
Female genital piercing, female genital mutilation, FGM, criminal offence, international, UK
Introduction
The legality of female genital piercing (FGP), which is defined as ‘the piercing of female genitalia to
adorn it with jewellery or other accessories purely for the purpose of personal decoration or in order
to enhance the sensation of sexual contact’has long been ambiguous and despite calls from practitioners
to clarify the law in this area, the position remains unclear.
1
As the Association of Professional Piercers
has declared: ‘there is a cloud over the legal classification of female genital piercings’in the United
Kingdom and this ‘creates a vast cavity of misinformation available for gross misinterpretation’.
2
The
uncertainty surrounding the lawfulness of FGP stems from the fact that the World Health Organisation
and other United Nations agencies regard the piercing of female genitalia as a form a female genital
Corresponding author:
Ruth Gaffney-Rhys, University of the West of England, UK.
Email: Ruth.Gaffney-Rhys@uwe.ac.uk
1 CrownProsecution Service, Female Genital Mutilation Prosecution Guidance (2019) available online at <https://www.cps.giv.uk/
legal-guidance/female-genital-mutilation-prosecution-guidance> retrieved 15 May 2021.
2 L. Slider, ‘Point 88: Female Genital Mutilation and Piercing in the UK’(2020) available online at <https://thepointjournal.org/
2020/06/08/point-88-female-genital-mutilation-piercing-in-the-uk/> retrieved 15 May 2021.
Article
The Journal of Criminal Law
2022, Vol. 86(4) 256–270
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/00220183221104399
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