In April 2021, a Hofstra University student suffered serious injuries to her face, arms and neck as a result of an acid attack with battery acid. The attacker is still at large. [194] On June 13, 2020, a man was attacked with acid in Garryowen, Limerick. [120] The amendment went into effect on November 1 to combat a growing number of acid attacks across the country. In addition to the medical and psychological effects, there are many social implications for acid survivors, especially women. [27] Such attacks, for example, usually result in hindrance in one way or another for victims, leaving them dependent on their spouses or families for daily activities such as eating and shopping. These addictions are exacerbated by the fact that many acid survivors are unable to find suitable employment due to visual impairments and physical disabilities. This undermines their economic viability and causes difficulties for the families and spouses who care for them. As a result, divorce rates are high, with husband abandonment noted in 25% of acid attack cases in Uganda (compared to only 3% of women leaving their disfigured husbands). [27] In addition, acid survivors who are single when attacked will almost certainly be excluded from society, ruining the prospects for marriage. [31] Some media massively avoid reporting on the violence in acid attacks, or the description of the attack is laconic or often implies that the act was inevitable or even justified.
[32] ASTI has produced a number of studies specifically addressing acid violence. Research is the key to informing, developing and implementing effective strategies for change. ASTI worked with and supported local partners to make changes to the law regarding acid violence. Mark van Dongen opted for euthanasia months after he was attacked by his ex-girlfriend Berlinah Wallace in the early hours of September 23, 2015. [175] [74] [176] He was paralyzed, scarred, his left leg was amputated, and he lost vision in his left eye and most of his vision in his right eye after the incident. Wallace was convicted of “throwing a corrosive substance on purpose” and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 12 years. [177] [178] [179] Conflicts related to property issues, land disputes, and inheritances have also been reported as motivations for acid attacks. [44] [45] Acid attacks linked to conflicts between criminal gangs take place in many places, including the United Kingdom, Greece and Indonesia. [46] [34] In April 2017, a man named Arthur Collins, Ferne McCann`s ex-boyfriend, threw acid into a nightclub at frightened clubbers in east London, forcing a mass evacuation of 600 revellers pouring into the streets. 22 people were injured in the attack.
Collins was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the attack. [180] Another similar attack is the 2017 Beckton acid attack. [181] Katie Piper was also attacked with acid in 2008 by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and an accomplice Stefan Sylvestre. [182] [183] The use of acid is only a method used for disfigurement purposes. Other methods are used by perpetrators to attack the physical integrity of women and girls, including the use of fists, knives and other weapons. It is difficult to determine an accurate estimate of the gender ratio between victims and perpetrators, as many acid attacks go unreported or recorded by the authorities. For example, a 2010 study published in The Lancet described that there are “no reliable statistics” on the prevalence of acid attacks in Pakistan. [35] Activists call on the government and police to introduce mandatory age checks for acidic items. How many people have been attacked with acid in London this year? In Bangladesh, throwing acid has been called a “gender crime” because there is a dominance of female victims who are attacked by men for refusing to marry or refusing sexual advances. [82] In Jamaica, it is a common cause for women to throw acid at other women in connection with fights for male partners.
[82] In the United Kingdom, the majority of victims are men and many of these attacks are related to gang violence. [34] The report, and in particular the joint legal research conducted by Linklaters and ASTI in the UK, continues to have a tangible impact on the fight against acid attacks and is an effective tool for ASTI`s awareness campaign and lobbying of the UK Home Office. In Bangladesh, the Acid Survivors Foundation, Nairpokkho, Action Aid and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee`s Community Empowerment & Strengthening Local Institutions programme are supporting survivors. [85] The Depilex Smileagain Foundation and the Acid Survivors Foundation in Pakistan operate in Islamabad and provide medical, psychological and rehabilitation support. [86] The Acid Survivors Foundation in Uganda operates in Kampala and provides rehabilitation counselling and treatment to victims and their families. [87] LICADHO, the Association of the Blind in Cambodia, and the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity support survivors of acid attacks. The Acid Survivors Foundation India operates from various centres with national headquarters in Kolkata and branches in Delhi and Mumbai. Attacks against individuals based on their religious beliefs or social or political activities also occur. These attacks can be directed against a specific person because of their activities or can be perpetrated against random people simply because they are part of a social group or community. In Europe, Konstantina Kouneva, a former member of the European Parliament, was bombed with acid in 2008, which was described as “the most serious attack on a trade unionist in Greece in 50 years”.
[39] The students were given acid in their faces to punish them for attending school. [40] Acid attacks due to religious conflicts have also been reported. [41] [42] Men and women have been victims of acid attacks because they refused to convert to another religion. [43] A positive correlation between acid attacks and ease of purchase of acid has been observed. [16] Sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids are the most commonly used and are all cheap and, in many cases, readily available.