A married couple has been jailed after being convicted of the female genital mutilation of their daughter.
The 37 year old man and a 27 year old woman had both pleaded not guilty of the offence.
In Septemeber 2016, the man brought his daughter who was bleeding from her perineal region to hospital and claimed her injuries were as a result of her falling on a toy.
Medical experts didn't believe the explanation, and Gardaí were called.
The toy claimed to be responsible for inflicting the injury was seized but no blood was found on it.
The couple, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, also denied child cruelty.
On the eighth day of the trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdicts of guilty on all counts.
Passing sentence today, the Judged jailed the man for five and a half years and the woman for four years and nine months.
In a statement, Gardaí said that the "conviction and sentence represents the first of its kind in Ireland.
It sends a strong and important message that Female Genital Mutilation is not and will not be tolerated".
