A. Any person injured by an individual who engaged in conduct that is prohibited under § 18.2-51.7, whether or not the individual has been charged with or convicted of the alleged violation, may sue therefor and recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
§ 8.01-42.5.Civil action for female genital mutilation.
Chapter 3. Actions · Article 3. Injury to Person or Property · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceGives a survivor of female genital mutilation a civil action for compensatory and punitive damages, plus attorney fees, against whoever performed it in violation of Virginia’s criminal statute, regardless of any criminal charge or conviction, and allows suit up to ten years after the later of the last violating act or the survivor turning 18.
Full Text of § 8.01-42.5
B. No action shall be commenced under this section more than 10 years after the later of (i) the date of the last act in violation of § 18.2-51.7 or (ii) the date on which such person attained 18 years of age.
Plain-English Summary
Subsection A lets a person injured by an individual who engaged in conduct prohibited under § 18.2-51.7 sue for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs, whether or not the individual has been charged with or convicted of the violation.
Subsection B allows suit up to ten years after the later of the date of the last act in violation of § 18.2-51.7 or the date the person turned 18, giving a survivor mutilated as a child a full decade measured from adulthood when that date falls later than the date of the last violating act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this section require the perpetrator to be criminally prosecuted first?
No. The civil action applies whether or not the individual has been charged with or convicted of the alleged violation of § 18.2-51.7.
What can a survivor recover under this section?
Compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
How long does a survivor have to file a civil claim?
Up to ten years after the later of the date of the last violating act or the date the survivor turned 18.
If the mutilation happened during childhood, when does the ten-year clock start?
From whichever is later — the date of the last violating act or the survivor’s eighteenth birthday — so a survivor mutilated as a young child gets ten years measured from turning 18.
What criminal statute defines the conduct this civil action is based on?
§ 18.2-51.7, Virginia’s criminal statute addressing female genital mutilation.
Amendment History
2017, c. 667.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: virginia civil lawsuit female genital mutilation8.01-42.5 fgm survivor damagesva code 18.2-51.7 civil actionstatute of limitations fgm lawsuit virginiapunitive damages fgm civil case virginia