Female Circumcision in Germany?

As the world celebrates World Health Day on Thursday, health and children's organizations have warned in Berlin that genital mutilation of girls, a practice usually found in African countries, also takes place in Germany. A UNICEF study found that almost half of the doctors surveyed in Germany said they had had a genitally-mutilated girl in their clinics, despite the fact that the practice is banned in the country. Experts have urged that doctors and midwifes in Germany need to be urgently informed about the taboo topic. "Female circumcision is a horrific tradition that cannot be stopped by bans alone," said Eva Luise Köhler, UNICEF patron in Germany. "Sensitized information and counseling is of great importance -- not only in the countries where such ritual originate, but also here in Germany," she added. UNICEF estimates that around two million girls worldwide are forced to undergo the practice each year.