Violencia de género y extraterritorialidad de la ley penal : la persecución de la mutilación genital femenina

Increased migration in recent decades has made us to know in our country and in our environment female genital mutilation, a practice belonging to the cultural tradition of some immigrant groups, which are a manifestation of gender violence, a attack on the human rights of women and injured fundamental legal rights enshrined in the Constitution. Tolerance and respect for the cultural identity of immigrants is limited to the respect of fundamental rights and therefore can not be permitted in our country as lawful mutilation of immigrant women, who in most cases are lower of age. It has long worldwide are struggling to eliminate these practices. Our country has joined this struggle and following international recommendations, included the crime of female genital mutilation in the Criminal Code and the principle of universal justice, under it, the Spanish courts are competent to judge genital mutilation carried out our territory if those responsible are in Spain.