October 3, 2012
Nurse in court over genital mutilation
Lawyers for a retired nurse have withdrawn an attempt to have her name suppressed over accusations she mutilated the genitals of two young sisters.
Kubra Magennis, 69, appeared in Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday charged with the illegal circumcision of the Sydney girls, who were aged six and seven at the time.
Her barrister Sean Jeppesen asked Magistrate Glenn Walsh to suppress further publication of her name in the media.
'We're dealing with a relatively small religious community that can be somewhat identifiable by their clothing,' he said.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) opposed the application, saying the woman and the alleged victims had different surnames.
Magistrate Walsh adjourned the matter briefly to consider the legislation before Mr Jeppesen returned to the courtroom and withdrew the application.
He did not provide a reason and declined to speak to the media.
The nurse is one of eight people - including the girls' parents - who are accused of taking part in the alleged genital mutilation between January 2010 and July 2012.
One of the alleged offences occurred on the NSW south coast and the other in Sydney.
The girls' father, who is a GP, and his pharmacist wife have been charged, along with a community religious leader who is an associate of the couple and an Islamic sheik.
The sheik is accused of being present during the mutilation and telling the local community to lie about the prevalence of female circumcision in their community.
The matters involving Magennis, the parents and the sheik will come before Parramatta Local Court on November 8.
Four other women - aged 39, 68, 73 and 77 - from Sydney and Wollongong have also been charged in the case, bringing the total accused to eight.
They have been charged with female genital mutilation and are alleged to have been present at one or both of the circumcisions.
The women have been granted bail to face Parramatta Local Court on November 7.
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