FGM Protection Order guide: how it works, when to apply, and how Freedom Charity can help
An FGM Protection Order is one of the strongest legal tools available in England and Wales to protect a girl or woman at risk of female genital mutilation. The Family Court can grant an FGM Protection Order to stop travel, restrict contact and impose conditions that reduce risk. Courts can also use an FGM Protection Order after FGM has already taken place if further protection is needed.
FGM is also a criminal offence. The CPS treats FGM as violence against women and girls and, where a child is involved, as child abuse. Breach of an FGM Protection Order is a criminal offence as well and can lead to up to five years’ imprisonment.
That distinction matters. An FGM Protection Order gives urgent civil protection. Criminal law punishes offending behaviour. In some cases, both routes matter at the same time. GOV.UK also makes clear that a person can seek an FGM Protection Order alongside police, criminal or family proceedings.
What is an FGM Protection Order?
An FGM Protection Order is an order of the Family Court in England and Wales. It protects a girl or woman from FGM. It can also protect someone against whom FGM has already been committed. Judges can tailor the order to fit the facts of the case.
Those powers are practical. A judge can stop travel. The court can require passport surrender. It can restrict contact. It can add any other condition needed to reduce the risk. That flexibility matters because danger does not look the same in every family or every case.
Who can apply for an FGM Protection Order?
The person at risk can apply for an FGM Protection Order. A relevant third party can also apply. Another person may apply with the court’s permission. The main application form is FGM001. Where permission is needed, the applicant must also file FGM006. Anyone who needs to keep an address confidential should use Form C8.
There is no court fee for an FGM Protection Order application. GOV.UK also states that the applicant does not have to reveal their identity publicly in order to apply. That point matters where fear, shame or pressure may stop someone from seeking help.
How do you apply for an FGM Protection Order?
Applicants use FGM001 to apply to the Family Court. The application should explain what protection the court is being asked to provide. It should also set out the facts that create concern. Travel risk may form part of that account. If the case is urgent and the applicant wants the court to act without telling the respondent first, the applicant must also provide a statement explaining why urgent action is needed.
Clear safeguarding makes a real difference here. Courts need a factual account of risk. They also need to understand urgency, family context and any danger linked to travel. A weak account can hide a strong case.
Can the court make an FGM Protection Order quickly?
Yes. In an urgent case, the court can hear an FGM Protection Order application straightaway. It can also grant the order without notice to the respondent. That step allows the court to act first and deal with notice afterwards where immediate protection is needed.
Speed matters in these cases. Risk can escalate fast. Families may bring travel forward. School holidays can narrow the window for action. Delay can weaken the protection the law is designed to provide.
What evidence helps the court?
The court does not need a perfect criminal file before it can grant an FGM Protection Order. What it does need is a clear and factual account of the risk. Useful evidence may include travel plans, references to a ceremony, family pressure, fear expressed by the child or young person, school concerns, healthcare concerns, or a history affecting siblings or close relatives.
The key point is simple. An FGM Protection Order exists to prevent harm. Professionals do not need to wait until the worst has happened.
The mandatory reporting duty matters
This legal point is critical for teachers and regulated professionals. GOV.UK states that teachers and regulated health and social care professionals in England and Wales must report known cases of FGM in under-18s to the police. That duty may sit alongside an application for an FGM Protection Order.
Good judgement remains essential. Professionals may need to think about immediate safety, police reporting and an FGM Protection Order at the same time.
What happens if an FGM Protection Order is breached?
Breach of an FGM Protection Order is a criminal offence. The maximum sentence is five years’ imprisonment. GOV.UK also explains that a person who disobeys the order may face contempt of court consequences.
That gives the order real force. An FGM Protection Order is not a symbolic warning. It is an enforceable court order.
Strengths and limits of an FGM Protection Order
An FGM Protection Order is powerful because it is flexible, urgent and free to apply for. It can protect a girl or woman before FGM takes place. It can also protect someone after FGM where further control, travel risk or safeguarding concerns remain.
Practical limits still matter. The order works best when professionals act early and handle the case safely. A badly handled disclosure, a careless conversation with family, or a slow response to travel risk can weaken protection before the order has time to work.
What should happen tonight if the risk is immediate?
Treat the case as an urgent safeguarding case. Call the police if there is immediate danger. Seek urgent legal advice. Consider a without-notice FGM Protection Order. GOV.UK states that urgent applications are possible and that travel abroad for FGM can form part of the concern.
In these cases, timing is critical. Even a short delay can change the risk completely.
Why Freedom Charity may use But It’s Not Fair or Cut Flowers
Sometimes a child or young person does not yet understand that what is happening is abuse. That is why Freedom Charity may use But It’s Not Fair or Cut Flowers as part of practical support. Through the story, a reader may recognise pressure, secrecy and danger. The books can also help a child identify with a character and find words for what is happening. These books do not replace legal advice, police action or safeguarding intervention. They can, however, help someone understand the risk earlier and speak sooner.
Why professionals should come to Freedom Charity
Freedom Charity understands the law. We also understand the lived pattern behind the law. An FGM Protection Order application is stronger when professionals recognise the risk early, explain the urgency properly and handle the person at risk with care.
Teachers, police officers, lawyers, social workers and safeguarding leads should know that Freedom Charity can help them think clearly about when to apply, what evidence matters, what risks must be managed and how to support the child or person at risk alongside the legal process.
FAQs
Can an FGM Protection Order stop someone from being taken abroad?
Yes. An FGM Protection Order can include terms that prevent travel abroad for FGM and can require passport surrender.
Is there a court fee for an FGM Protection Order?
No. GOV.UK states that there is no court fee for applying for an FGM Protection Order.
Can an FGM Protection Order run alongside a police investigation?
Yes. GOV.UK states that a person can seek an FGM Protection Order at the same time as police investigations, criminal proceedings or family proceedings.
Do teachers have a separate legal duty in some FGM cases?
Yes. GOV.UK states that teachers and regulated health and social care professionals in England and Wales must report known cases of FGM in under-18s to the police.
Aneeta Prem London 2 April 2026