Dr. Jumana Nagarwala has been accused of performing procedures on the genitals of girls between the ages of 6 and 8, from her medical clinic in Livonia, Michigan.
The Detroit News reports that Nagarwala was charged on Wednesday with female genital mutilation and and transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. She was arrested and put on administrative leave at the Henry Ford Health System, with whom she has a connection as an ER doctor. A spokesman for Henry Ford said in a statement on Thursday, “The alleged criminal activity did not occur at any Henry Ford facility. We would never support or condone anything related to this practice.”
WXYZ reports that investigators found a number of girls who had been taken to see Nagarwala, who were told different reasons for the visit:
In the criminal affidavit, Nagarwala performed FGM on girls who were approximately 7 years old at the time at a clinic in Livonia.
The investigation revealed that in one particular case, a 7-year-old was brought by her family from Minnesota. An investigation into phone records revealed their location. The child was interviewed on April 10. She stated that she was brought to Detroit for “special girls trip.”
The child victim also stated that she said she had to go to the doctor “to get the germs out.” Upon a medical exam on April 11, a doctor determined that the child’s genitals had been altered or removed. The child identified Dr. Nagarwala as the doctor who performed the procedure.
There were other girls, according to Fox News, one of which was discovered when a Minnesota doctor was performing a surgery on the victim and saw the girl’s genitals had been altered. A younger girl told investigators that she had left her glove at Nagarwala’s medical facility, and a search warrant was issued. When authorities found the monogrammed glove, the doctor was arrested. The girl’s parents later told officials that they had gone to see the doctor for a “‘cleansing’ of extra skin.”
Court documents state that Nagarwala admits to knowing FGM is illegal, and she denies having performed such surgery on anyone.