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Michigan doctor charged with genital mutilation wins release

Posted at 3:27 PM, Sep 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-19 15:27:54-04

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area doctor charged with performing genital mutilation on girls in a Muslim sect will be released from jail as she awaits trial.

A judge on Tuesday was persuaded to grant bond to Dr. Jumana Nagarwala after supporters pledged to pay more than $4 million if she flees the country. Federal Judge Bernard Friedman called it a “very comprehensive package.”

Nagarwala has been in custody since her arrest in April, and it will be a few days more before she’s released. She must wear an electronic tether.

Nagarwala denies any crime and says she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the Dawoodi Bohra. Eight people have been charged, including two Minnesota mothers and the owner of a Detroit-area clinic where the alleged procedures occurred after hours.