Man on trial for genital mutilation of his daughter

<p>Prosecutors say a suburban Atlanta man circumcised his 2-year-old daughter with a pair of scissors to avoid bringing shame on his family.</p><p>The defense blames his wife, her mother and a nasty divorce case.</p><p>Khalid Adem, who is on trial this week in Gwinnett County, could face 40 years in prison if convicted.</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Marty First acknowledged that Adem, who was born in Ethiopia, is from a culture that practices female circumcision.</p><p>"But circumcision is just a nice way of saying mutilation," First told the jury of seven women and five men on Tuesday. "There is no doubt that she was mutilated. And this is not something you go to a doctor and do because no doctor will do it. He did this to his own baby."</p><p>The practice, a tradition in some African cultures, is widely condemned by human rights groups and has been outlawed in the U.S. since 1997.</p><p>The Adem case appears to be a groundbreaking prosecution for female genital mutilation in the U.S., said Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of Equality Now, a New York-based human rights group that focuses on violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.</p><p>"As far as we know the Adem case is the first documented case," Bien-Aime said. "It's the first time that not only do we have it documented that it occurred but there was actually a complaint made with the police."</p><p>Adem is charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to children. Police have said that Adem used scissors to circumcise his daughter in their Duluth apartment sometime in 2001. The child's mother said she didn't discover it until more than a year later.</p><p>During opening statements Tuesday, the defense and prosecution both agreed that the daughter's clitoris was removed. But they disagreed on who did it.</p><p>Defense attorney W. Mark Hill blamed the child's mother and grandmother who came to the United States from South Africa.</p><p>"He did not do that. He never wanted it to happen," Hill told the jury. "He will tell you that. And that only leaves two people. The people who were primarily taking care of the child. The mother and the grandmother."</p><p>First said that in late 2002 and early 2003, Adem said if his daughter were not circumcised, "it will be a shame to the family."</p><p>"He said he wanted (the girl) to have it done so that she will not be promiscuous," First added. First also said Adem also implied that he had already circumcised the girl.</p><p>The girl's mother, Fortunate Adem, then took her to a doctor, First said. During a visit in March 2003, doctors confirmed that the procedure had occurred, First said. The girl later told Gwinnett County authorities that her father cut her.</p><p>Hill denied Adem ever made any of those statements about circumcision. He asked how the victim's mother would not have known for more than a year that the young girl was circumcised.</p><p>"The mother is telling you that she did not detect this for one year and four months after it happened," Hill said. "That is impossible. The experts will tell you because of the pain and physical symptoms there is no way a mother wouldn't know."</p><p>Hill said Fortunate Adem's allegations stem from a nasty divorce and a custody battle the couple was going through. He said Fortunate Adem was trying to get sole custody of the young girl long before she accused her husband of a crime.</p><p>"The mother's sole plan was to keep him from unsupervised visitation of his daughter," Hill said.</p>