Mother Who Used Witchcraft Is First Convicted Under UK Female Genital Mutilation Law

The 'Lady of Justice,' a 12-foot high, gold leaf statue on top of the dome of the Central Criminal Court, commonly referred to as The Old Bailey, in central London on Aug. 21, 2016. Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images

The mother of a 3-year-old girl who tried to protect herself from police investigation with witchcraft spells has become the first person convicted under a long-standing ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK.

Laws against the practice—formerly known as “female circumcision”—have been in place since 1985.