Abstract
The Editor and I decided, after some hesitancy and discussion, to publish the disquieting article in this issue, “Weak Laws Against Acid Attacks on Women: an Indian Perspective”. It is unpleasant reading. The article may appear to be slanted against rural Indians, but acid attacks are common in much of Asia. Over 2000 attacks occurred in East Pakistan last year.
We in Britain must enhance our knowledge of this barbaric behaviour. We do not yet have a central register of such attacks here, but Acid Attack Survivors Trust is now developing such a register.
One such case occurred in Salford this month in a shopping centre. A white man threw sulphuric acid on the back of a black woman from the Camaroons. She was pushing her six-month-old daughter in a pram. As he did this thing he was heard shouting, “You have got dark skin. I can do something about that.” Her clothes and the skin of her back and chest were badly burnt. The baby fortunately survived intact.
In 2008, a 25-year-old lady from East Pakistan was attacked in Leytonstone, East London. She had been seen kissing her boyfriend of whom the family disapproved. Her brother was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for the attack. Her boyfriend was similarly attacked on a different occasion, having first been stabbed. He was left horribly disfigured, but survived.
Probably better known is the acid attack on Katie Piper, a very attractive 24-year-old television presenter. She had acid thrown on her face. She was disfigured and blinded. After much surgery she has made a fair recovery, and her sight has been restored. She is incredibly brave, and has taken part in a documentary about acid attacks.
Concentrated acids are freely available to the public in Great Britain. They can be used to clean and unblock toilets and drains. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is available in many high street hardware shops for this purpose. A 2.5 L bottle of 98% sulphuric acid is available from Amazon for £12.99.
We are fortunate in this country that the best medical care of victims is freely available from our National Health Service. However, the cost of each case to the NHS is vast, and is not what the service was intended for.