Acid attacks – where acid is intentionally thrown to maim, disfigure or blind the victim – occurs in many countries across the world
NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A 23-year-old man in the Indian capital has been arrested for allegedly throwing acid over two teenagers, after one of them refused to marry him, the Hindu newspaper reported on Monday.
According to the report, the man who is already married, threw acid over the 18-year-old and her friend when they made their way to the market near their home in West Delhi on Sunday.
Passers-by tried to stop the accused after the attack, but he manage to flee. Police arrested him on Monday.
Acid attacks – where acid is intentionally thrown to maim, disfigure or blind the victim – occurs in many countries across the world.
It is common in Cambodia but also happens in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, where deep-rooted patriarchy persists.
Around 1,500 acid attacks are reported globally each year, with women being the victims in 80 percent of cases, according to London-based charity Acid Survivors Trust International, which says the actual number is probably much higher since most victims are too scared to speak out.
There are no official statistics for India, but a study conducted by Cornell University in January 2011 said there were 153 attacks reported in the media from 1999 to 2010.
Many of these attacks are acts of revenge because a woman spurns sexual advances or rejects a marriage proposal, the study said. Last month, local media reported that a teenage girl was forced to drink acid by her jilted boyfriend.
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