The Australian Federal Police is investigating reports of a Brisbane girl being taken from her home to undergo genital mutilation in Africa. It is believed the girl is between the ages of four and seven and is travelling with her father, The Guardian Australia reported. The child was born in Sierra Leone but was taken to Gambia to have the procedure before Christmas. Scroll down for video . It is believed the girl is between the ages of four and seven and is travelling with her father to Gambia for female genital mutilation . An AFP spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they were investigating the allegations. 'AFP has received a referral in relation to FGM and as we are currently conducting enquiries, no more comment can be offered at this point in time,' she said. But there are fears police intervention is too late, with west African community members in Brisbane telling The Guardian Australia the girl may have already had the procedure. Female genital mutilation is illegal in Australia, as is removing children to undergo the procedure. An example of knife and blades used for FGM, which is illegal in Australia, but three girls a day are at risk of it . Three girls a day are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Australia. There are four types of FGM including clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and other. No FGM director Paula Ferrari told Daily Mail Australia more needed to be done to educate people about the dangers of the procedure. Source: World Health Organisation . She said the girls who were most at risk of FGM were those who came from a community where the practice is accepted, or had a mother or sibling who had experienced it. In the case of the Brisbane girl, Ms Ferrari said the child had this history. 'The question could be asked if this could have been prevented because she had ticked two of these boxes,' she said. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has urged relatives or friends to blow the whistle on anyone taking children abroad to undergo female genital mutilation. But it is virtually impossible for authorities to step in without evidence of somebody's intentions, Ms Bishop told Fairfax Radio on Tuesday. 'If somebody just presents with a passport and they're heading off overseas and we have no evidence to provide us with any cause to prevent the person leaving, then of course that happens,' she said. 'People are free to travel on an Australian passport if they have a valid passport.' Ms Bishop said it was vital family members or friends who were in the know about such plans let authorities know. 'This equally applies to foreign terrorist fighters,' she said. 'It's the families that we need to hear from if there are such matters occurring.' Relatives were the ones most likely to notice changes in behaviour or the beginning of radicalisation, Ms Bishop said. '[Whether it's] a girl leaving for overseas for this brutal, barbaric practice, or whether it's people leaving for overseas to take up with terrorist organisations.'
The Brisbane girl is believed to be between the ages of four and seven .
She was born in Sierra Leone and it is thought she was taken to Gambia .
Three girls a day are at risk of female genital mutilation in Australia .
The procedure is illegal in every state as is removing children to undergo it .
The Australian Federal Police is investigating reports of a Brisbane girl being taken from her home to undergo genital mutilation in Africa. It is believed the girl is between the ages of four and seven and is travelling with her father, The Guardian Australia reported. The child was born in Sierra Leone but was taken to Gambia to have the procedure before Christmas. Scroll down for video . It is believed the girl is between the ages of four and seven and is travelling with her father to Gambia for female genital mutilation . An AFP spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they were investigating the allegations. 'AFP has received a referral in relation to FGM and as we are currently conducting enquiries, no more comment can be offered at this point in time,' she said. But there are fears police intervention is too late, with west African community members in Brisbane telling The Guardian Australia the girl may have already had the procedure. Female genital mutilation is illegal in Australia, as is removing children to undergo the procedure. An example of knife and blades used for FGM, which is illegal in Australia, but three girls a day are at risk of it . Three girls a day are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Australia. There are four types of FGM including clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and other. No FGM director Paula Ferrari told Daily Mail Australia more needed to be done to educate people about the dangers of the procedure. Source: World Health Organisation . She said the girls who were most at risk of FGM were those who came from a community where the practice is accepted, or had a mother or sibling who had experienced it. In the case of the Brisbane girl, Ms Ferrari said the child had this history. 'The question could be asked if this could have been prevented because she had ticked two of these boxes,' she said. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has urged relatives or friends to blow the whistle on anyone taking children abroad to undergo female genital mutilation. But it is virtually impossible for authorities to step in without evidence of somebody's intentions, Ms Bishop told Fairfax Radio on Tuesday. 'If somebody just presents with a passport and they're heading off overseas and we have no evidence to provide us with any cause to prevent the person leaving, then of course that happens,' she said. 'People are free to travel on an Australian passport if they have a valid passport.' Ms Bishop said it was vital family members or friends who were in the know about such plans let authorities know. 'This equally applies to foreign terrorist fighters,' she said. 'It's the families that we need to hear from if there are such matters occurring.' Relatives were the ones most likely to notice changes in behaviour or the beginning of radicalisation, Ms Bishop said. '[Whether it's] a girl leaving for overseas for this brutal, barbaric practice, or whether it's people leaving for overseas to take up with terrorist organisations.'
is believed the girl is between the ages of four in Sierra Leone but was taken to Gambia to have mutilation is illegal in Australia, as is removing children to undergo the procedure. An are at risk of it . Three girls a day are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Australia.