Acid attacks are a form of violence against women – the law needs to treat them as such

• Sadly, acid attacks like this are not isolated incidents.
• Over the last 15 years, they have been on the rise across the world, including in the UK.
• Those who target a victim’s face in particular aim to maim and disfigure, but not necessarily kill, their target.

Acid attacks as gendered violence

• But what is often left out of the discussion is that it is a form of gendered violence that mainly targets women.
• While acid attacks are perpetrated against both men and women, the vast majority of victims – 80% globally – are women, and the majority of perpetrators are male.
• As a specialist in criminal justice responses to violence against women and girls, I have provided expert evidence in UK courts on the cultural contexts at play in cases of gender-based violence, including acid attacks.
• Acid attacks remain common in India and the rest of South Asia, despite bans on the sale of acid over the counter.

How the law ignores violence against women

• Although few acid attacks result in death, the intention to disfigure the victim permanently can still lead to a murder charge.
• A number of UK women have reported not being taken seriously by police when they report threats of acid attacks.
• Acid violence against women usually does not happen out of the blue.
• This starts by acknowledging that these are not just horrific, random attacks – they are very often targeted violence against women.

Aisha K. Gill is affiliated with the End Violence Against Women Coalition