A campaigner against female genital mutilation described Bermuda High School students as ?fantastic? yesterday after they listened to her give a talk on the custom.

Salimata Badji Knight, herself a survivor of the practice, said she was impressed with the way pupils responded to the subject, asked questions and even inquired as to how they could help stop young girls from being tortured.

?These are the future adults of tomorrow and Bermuda is in safe hands with these young people,? said Mrs. Knight, 40, who is originally from Senegal, where she was mutilated at the age of five.

?They were fantastic. You couldn?t hear a pin drop when I was speaking; that?s not the case when I go to a class in London. The floor came up with so many questions ? it was amazing. It was at such a high level.

?It was very rewarding for me because they are living in this beautiful environment, they have the sea all around, but despite all this they are still interested in what is happening out there.?

Mrs. Knight has come to the Island from the UK to deliver Amnesty International Bermuda?s annual Colin Horsfield Memorial Lecture this evening.

The free event ? which includes an open forum ? takes place at 7.30 p.m. at Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, 1 Point Pleasant Road, Hamilton. Call 296-3249 for more information.