Friday March 3, 2023
A circumciser showing the razor used in the procedure. Photo UNFPA
Copenhagen (HOL) - A 44-year-old Somali Dane is on trial in a Danish court in Odense for allegedly forcibly circumcising his 12-year-old daughter and subjecting her to physical violence and 'sexual slavery,' as well as taking her and her younger brother, aged 9, to Kenya and Somalia between June 2017 and December 2021.
According to the charges, the children were exposed to daily physical violence from their father and family members while in Africa, against their will. The suspect allegedly moved his children from their home in Odense to East Africa for cultural rehabilitation, known as "Dhaqan Celis" in the Somali community.
Danish prosecutors also allege the daughter was subjected to brutal and repeated sexual violence, including being forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) by her grandmother. She was also forcibly married to two men who both sexually assaulted her. One of the men was a 75-year-old who "purchased" the young girl through a dowry payment. According to the indictment, she was later sold to a man in his 40s who subjected her to repeated rapes.
The two children have been placed in family care outside the home since returning to Denmark. The defendant, a commercial driver, has been in custody since his arrest on 24 January 2022 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court has set aside thirteen days for a jury trial, and a verdict is expected in late April or early May.
'Dhaqan celis' or Somali cultural rehabilitation trips are aimed at helping young Somalis who have grown up in Western countries reconnect with their cultural roots, typically organized by family members. Some parents send their children due to criminal behaviour, mental illness, drug abuse, or lifestyles they cannot accept. However, it has been criticized for the abuse, forced marriage, and "sexual slavery" of young people sent to East Africa against their will.