Mother is on trial in Brisbane after girls were allegedly taken from grandmother’s house and subjected to procedure

Two Queensland girls were playing outside their grandmother’s house in Somalia when they were allegedly taken away to have their genitals mutilated, a court has heard.

Their mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is on trial in Brisbane district court.

She pleaded not guilty to two counts of removing a child from the state for female genital mutilation on Monday.

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The girls, aged nine and 12, had been in Somalia for a few days when they were subjected to the procedure in April 2015, according to prosecutors.

They did know this was going to happen to them and were awake for the procedure, which caused pain for days afterwards, the court heard.

When they came back to Australia seven months later, they told police “something happened” to them before a doctor verified parts of their genitalia had been removed, the crown said.

They continued living with their mother after she was charged, the court heard.

The trial continues.