First Conviction: 01 - The Incident
Pirate Predator
RTÉ Documentary on One
4.4 • 778 Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
September 2016 is where this story begins. A young married couple are at home in Dublin on a Friday morning with their two young children. Having changed her nappy, their 21 month old daughter turns, runs and falls. Her cries startle her parents who go to comfort her. As they pick her up, they notice she’s bleeding. Panicked, they take her to hospital - where everything begins to spiral out of control… If you have any information or knowledge about this story please email us documentaries@rte.ie or investigations@rte.ie or you can give us an anonymous tip via www.rte.ie/firstconviction
Credits: First Conviction is hosted by Ruth Negga. It's written and produced by Tim Desmond and Liam O’Brien working together with the RTÉ Investigates team of reporter Pam Fraher, producer Philip Gallagher, assistant editor Aoife Hegarty and Editor David Doran. Sound design by Ciarán Cullen. Sayeed’s words are given voice by Steve Hartland and Halawa’s by Esosa Ighodaro. Legal advice from Deirdre Ann Kelly & Eleanor Bleahene. Original music written by Mel Mercier & performed by Karl Nesbitt, Paul O’Donnell, Niwel Tsumbu, Clara Sanabras with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by Gavin Maloney. Orchestral String Arrangements by Áine Delaney. Music recording engineers, Donncha Moynihan and Ciarán Cullen. Studio voiceover recordings by Ronan Kelly. Production assistance from Shauna McGreevy and Nicoline Greer. Audio product support by Nigel Wheatley. Promo Producer, Fiona Savage. Marketing by Christopher Hayes and Maria Buckley. Design and creatives by Michael McKeon, Sean Malone, Scott Bryan, John Kilkenny and Darragh Treacy. Publicity by Laura Fitzgerald. Socials by James Hartigan & Kate Smyth. London recording engineer, Luke Nagy. Additional online editorial content by Anna Joyce. Publishing weekly.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin, Thursday, November 28th, 2019. |
| 0:10.5 | After a nine-day trial, a case never before seen in Ireland comes to a conclusion. |
| 0:17.2 | A couple have been found guilty of female genital mutilation of their one-year-old daughter three years ago in what is the first trial of its kind in this country. |
| 0:28.1 | Six weeks later, the married couple are back in court for sentencing. |
| 0:32.7 | Described the offence as the most egregious breach of trust by those presumed to be the protectors of their infant child. |
| 0:39.7 | Today, Judge El Mishiehan sentenced the male accused to five and a half years imprisonment |
| 0:45.0 | and the female accused to four years and nine months. |
| 0:48.9 | The couple are taken from the court and brought to prisons in different parts of the country to begin their sentences. |
| 0:58.0 | They cannot believe what is happening. |
| 1:01.1 | The sentencing has been welcomed by advocacy groups and international aid organisations, |
| 1:05.7 | highlighting the dangers of FGM, Fiona O'Malley. |
| 1:08.0 | The following morning, the Detective Garda Chief Superintendent who led this investigation into the act of FGM, Fiona Mali. The following morning, the detective guard a chief superintendent |
| 1:11.2 | who led this investigation |
| 1:12.5 | into the act of FGM, |
| 1:15.0 | as it's commonly known, |
| 1:16.9 | gives an interview on RTE Radio. |
| 1:19.6 | It's an exceptionally complex crime to investigate. |
| 1:22.6 | It's very, very much in the shadows, |
| 1:24.7 | very much behind closed doors. |
| 1:27.1 | So it's a really, really difficult crime to prosecute. |
| 1:30.4 | Throughout the investigation, trial and sentencing, |
| 1:34.3 | the couple maintained their innocence at all times. |
... |
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