Acid attacks on women. The faces of those who suffered for their "crimes". Warning: Violent Images

[Cliron]

I've been noticing a few articles popping up lately over the past year regarding acid attacks on women (most saliently the random [as far as I recall] attack last year in the UK). I read them with the usual disdain most (if only I could say all) readers would have. However, personally, I felt that without the images, without the antecedents to the attack, I read of these attacks like a case study.

This article helped me attach the truly abhorrent emotional reaction that [again, personally] I feel is warranted for such heinous acts.

Of course it could be said that we're often not shown the true 'horrors' that go on in the world in detail (or do we often seek it), and there are endless lists of other tragedies that should also be shown; but I know I feel like I should be tapping into that sensation more often.

That being said, these images are very graphic and can be considered very upsetting to some.

Spoiler: show

http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/...op-loving-men/

Spoiler: show

Men throw acid on us with the intention of injuring or disfiguring us. Men throw acid on our bodies, burn our faces, smash our noses, melt our eyes, and walk away as happy men.
Acid attack is common in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Cambodia, and a few other countries. Men throw acid on us because men are angry with us for ending relationships and for refusing sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, proposals of marriage, demands for dowry. They throw acid on us for attending schools, for not wearing Islamic veils, for not behaving well, for speaking too much, for laughing loudly.
India


She was 18, a college student. Three of her neighbors sexually harassed her for more than two years and then threw acid on her. Her skin on the skull, face, neck, chest and back were melted away. After nine years of that attack Sonali Mukherjee is now blind in both eyes and partially deaf. Her father spent millions of rupees for her treatment. They have now no money. The attackers got bail from the High Court, continued threatening to kill her. She is now asking the government to help her or allow her to end her life.

Cambodia

The face of Sokreun Mean, who was blinded and disfigured by an acid attack.
Carsten Stormer, a German journalist & photographer said,
“Acid attacks deprive people of more than their looks and sight. Families are torn apart. Husbands leave their wives. Children are separated from their parents. Jobs vanish overnight, turning professionals into beggars. Many victims cannot get through a day without constant assistance, becoming burdens on their families. All bear the mark of the pariah.
“What remains is a traumatized society in which domestic disputes, unhappy love affairs, and professional rivalries are nearly always resolved through violence. Hardly a family without its members lost to the ideological battles of the Khmer Rouge – a curse that is passed on from parents to children. Battery acid is known to be most uncomplicated way of causing lifelong suffering. A dollar will buy you a quart of acid on any street corner. The perpetrators are seldom punished. Their targets become outcasts.”





Pakistan
Fakhra Younus was attacked by her husband Bilal Khar, ex-MPA of the Punjab Assembly and the son of Pakistani Politician Ghulam Mustafa Khar. He threw acid in her face after they split up. Tehmina Durrani, the author of ‘My Feudal Lord’, the former step mother of Bilal Khar tried to help Fakhra. She was sent to Italy for treatment. After having 39 re-constructive surgeries, Fakhra committed suicide.


The stories of the girls, from left to right:
Ten years ago Shahnaz Bibi was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery. Najaf Sultana is now 16. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping. Her father didn’t want to have another girl in the family. Najaf became blind. Shameem Akhter (20) was kidnapped and raped by a gang of men who then threw acid on her 3 years ago. Kanwal Kayum, now 26, was burned with acid one year ago by a man whom she rejected for marriage. Bashiran Bibi was burned at her husband’s house just after her marriage. Nasreen Sharif was a beautiful girl. When she was 14, her cousin poured a bottle of sulphuric acid in her face. He did it because he couldn’t stand boys whistling at her when she crossed the street. Her skin melted away, her hair burned away. She is now blind, she has no ears and she has no sense of smell.








Among others, there is Shaziya Abdulsattar, an eight-year-old girl. Shaziya’s father threw acid on her and her mother Azim last year after the mother refused to sell their two boys to a man in Dubai to use as camel racers.




Bangladesh
It is very easy for a man to get sulphuric acid if he wants to attack a woman he does not like. The country has become a hot spot for acid attacks. A disfigured woman is not able to get married or get a job. She becomes a financial and social burden on her family.




Neela was forced to marry when she was 12 years old. Her husband threw acid on her face when she was 14. He was angry with Neela because her family was unable to give him the dowry money he asked for.


Nepal

Akriti Rai, 22, was attacked by her husband, a Nepali soldier.
Iran


Ameneh Bahrami rejected the offer of having a relationship with Majid Movahedi, a fellow student at the University of Tehran. He then threw a bottle of acid in her face.
Zambia

A man threw acid on a 13-year-old girl’s face to take a revenge. The older sister of the girl said: “You have to grow crocodile skin to clean the wounds of an acid survivor. The worst ordeal was while in the hospital, as the skin kept peeling off. I didn’t realize that the tongue skin was also peeling off. The young girl was pushing something in her mouth. I opened her mouth to see and found that almost the whole tongue had come off. I had to pull it out like you do with a cow and only a little red thing (tongue) remained.’
Nitric acid, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid are today’s weapons of choice for criminals who hate women. These acids are easy to buy, easy to hide, easy to carry, and easy to throw. A person who witnessed many acid attacks , said, ‘in a less than a minute the bone under the skin can start to be exposed. If there is enough acid, the bone itself can become a soft mass of non-distinguishable jelly. Internal organs can dissolve. Fingers, noses and ears can melt away like chocolate on a hot day.’
Ethiopia

Twenty-one-year-old woman Kamilat Mehdi’s life was changed forever when a stalker threw sulphuric acid in her face. Ismail, Kamilat’s brother said: “The man who attacked her stalked her for a few years. He gave her a hard time but she didn’t tell the family for fear that something would happen to them. He was always saying he would use a gun on them.” Ultimately the stalker’s weapon of choice was not a gun, but a bottle of acid. He used it on Kamilat and destroyed her entire life in one second.
UK


Her lover did it. Richard Remes threw sulphuric acid on Patricia Lefranc. Her nose and eyelids were melted away, she lost sight in one eye and hearing in one ear, she also lost a finger. She came close to death, as the corrosive substance nearly burned through her heart and lungs.The horrific attack physically and emotionally scarred her for life. What was her crime? She ended her relationship with Richard Remes, a married man.

We are more abused, harassed, exploited, kidnapped, raped, trafficked, murdered by our lovers, husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, friends, or men we know well than by strangers. Whatever happens to us, we never stop loving men.

Am I being particularly sensitive on this issue, and should 'harden' up the difficulties faced by some in life, or do others share my reaction?

Are acid attacks a relatively new phenomenon, with a likelihood of continuing (no source on this) to increase, or has the media just made me think its increasing in frequency?

[Lucavi]

Acid attacks are no more "new" than the concept of tribal villages and power-hungry males in societies that foster an environment of domination. This is nothing new. The only thing new is that the women suffering from this stuff have increasing access to global avenues in which to tell their story.

[The Stig]

If you're curious more on this, seek out a UK documentary called "Katie: My Beautiful Face" ; she [Katie Piper] documents her attack, her recovery and also her mission to seek out plastic surgery to make it appealable again. It was caught on CCTV, and is quite graphic as there's footage, or photos, of her in hospital, and learning of the attack, and such. This attack was not really random but a revenge attack from her (mental) boyfriend who I believe is a MMA fighter, I don't remember, but for the same reasons as listed in the article above. She's done additional documentaries and also went on (and was backed by Simon Cowell) to set up a charity to help victims of either acid burn attacks or equivalent.

This case is a bit of an exception as she was lucky to escape with only a partial (I'd say 40%?) burn on her face, whereas some of the ones above, not so much repairable and is pretty much a write off.

From a mentality point of view, I kind of fell in love with her while watching it not because I feel sorry for her (that's a given) and want to comfort her but because of how strong she is to try and overcome it. It was quite a strong documentary for me. I still find her quite attractive even after the surgery. But it's an exception either way, you really learn and attach yourself to her in the documentary

[Siya]

I have to say I was not prepared for that.

[Outlaw]

Am I being particularly sensitive on this issue, and should 'harden' up the difficulties faced by some in life, or do others share my reaction?

Are acid attacks a relatively new phenomenon, with a likelihood of continuing (no source on this) to increase, or has the media just made me think its increasing in frequency?

No, I don't think you are being to sensitive on this issue. I do share your reaction. I remember seeing something on tv a long time ago about acid attacks and I was shocked and disgusted by it. If the world was less apathetic about things like this maybe we could help stop this.

Like people have said, these attacks are nothing new. The worst part is that in some countries they are commonplace. So it's not just the media. It's always good though when this is in the news cause the more attention it brings to this and gets people to care the better.

[Lucavi]

I don't want to be an ignorant ass and just spout out "ignorant 3rd-world countries chained to masochistic and oppressive religions" and start name-dropping, but I kind of do. We can all point to Islam as a religion based around peace within certain lights and texts, but also a religion completely abused by male society to justify countless actions. Christianity was no different up until what, 200 years ago, if that?

These things happen without religion, of course, but religion provides a solid bedrock for oppression through a system of passed traditions and justifications of said behavior. How many times have we heard a spin of the classic "suffer through this in life and you'll be rewarded... you know, once you're dead and I've gotten everything I want out of you" line? Slaves caught it throughout history (as recent as the 1800's and no doubt still being enacted today in small pockets), women have caught it forever and it just goes on and on.

The answer isn't to ban religion because religion is just a crutch to enforce the ideals of power people desire to have over others' lives. Even without religion, this stuff would still happen, the justification would simply come down to "because I'm stronger/superior than/to you".

[Petitssk]

It does depend on the country, but there are countries in which incidents of this kind have actually become more common in recent years, it seems. (cf. Wikipedia).

I had been aware of attacks of this kind, but I never would have thought that incidents of this kind had become so common a problem; some of the numbers in the article above are outright frightening (though there seems to be some dissonance as to how high the count is). Quite frankly, I'm not sure how to react. Seeing those pictures and the stories behind them, I just cannot imagine how one could go on living having done such a thing to someone else, let alone how they can go on living among society. Not to mention, cases such as the one where the victim was subjected to threats by the perpetrators even after their attack.

Regardless, thank you for posting this; as gruesome as both the pictures and stories may be, I think it's important to understand the full extent of the consequences such a crime entails. Just words wouldn't do this justice and society shouldn't just brush this off by avoiding the harsh reality.

[Treize Kordero]

I first heard about this when years ago when a wife did it to her cheating husband. Somehow she got some battery acid and threw it right on him. I don't know the extent of the damage but that's when I was like whoa WTF.. acid? Are you serious?

I'm wondering how these people are getting the serious acid to do this? It's so strong it melts their faces.
Awareness is good that why if it happens in our own communities we'll know how to act but it will take the people of the countries that this shit happens usually to change it.

I don't think the frequency has arisen just how available information is now. If anything these burn victims coming forward, will bring attention to this and help reduce it.

[Jaybar]

You can purchase powerful acid anywhere. Muriatic Acid (HCl) is a common chemical used for concrete etching and especially for pH balancing in pools. Again, battery acid is relatively common as well. It's not like they are taking a car battery and using that. You can find all of this at local hardware stores.

(Image of a package of battery acid, can be opened and easily spilled. This is a 1.5g battery but there are quart sized ones as well)
http://images.lowes.com/product/conv...21022092lg.jpg

I know that in IL you have to present a valid ID to purchase corrosive materials now (that includes ANYTHING that is corrosive like some toilet cleaners). Don't know about other states.

[Xno Kappa]

There's another great documentary on this called "Saving Face" which won an Academy award.

[Tajin]

Whats the point you're trying to make here?

All I see is woman are used and abused, this is no different from rape or other forms of torture (kidnapping), are you trying to create a movement against this particular form of abuse?

[Kohan]

Whats the point you're trying to make here?

All I see is woman are used and abused, this is no different from rape or other forms of torture (kidnapping), are you trying to create a movement against this particular form of abuse?

I believe they merely wanted to hear other people's opinions. This isn't really political nor religious in any way, but I suppose it's a better fit for this forum than for General Discussion. As you and others have noted, though, any form of violence is bad and should be discouraged. This isn't particularly common, and short of banning all flesh-melting substances, the only logical thing that can be done about it is the same thing that can be done about every other form of violence: educating people as to why it's wrong, and discouraging using it against others.

[Tajin]

Agreed.

[Cliron]

^^ What Kohan said basically. Rather than trying to prod the masses to do something, I'm rather just laying it out there to absorb, because (as I mentioned) I personally had a strong dissonance to the effects/prevalence/ victims of acid attacks.

Thanks for the recommendations on the documentaries. I'll hit them up today, when i'm not at work! [read: when at work]

[Callisto]

I didn't see it included in there, but I believe a couple of US women doing humanitarian work in the ME or North Africa also got hit with an acid attack in recent weeks.

[shaddix]

This is fucked up. Will be staying away from certain countries.

[Roranora]

I didn't see it included in there, but I believe a couple of US women doing humanitarian work in the ME or North Africa also got hit with an acid attack in recent weeks.

Was two young UK women in Zanzibar, Tanzania -- East Africa. It was fairly big news at the time from my perspective in Ethiopia, but has since disappeared for Egypt 24/7. Still fucked up, and its 'popularity' amongst certain muslim men appears to be spreading. At least the Tanzanian officials knew it was appalling, acted diligently (at least by african standards...) and have arrested two men.

the two girls were cute too, though they seem to be in good spirits all things considered

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl...icle-1.1423959

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopo...d12n-4-web.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23645138

[The Stig]

Stuff like this (amongst other bad things) is why I don't understand why they insist on going out there.

So far I've observed (based on my immediate environment at work, university people I've come across, my sister's "posh" club whom have ALLLLLL gone out and do these type of things) that it's a specific subset of the posh/upperclass/good income people that insist on going out there because they have nothing better to do (and mummy/daddy pays for it). This allows them to come back and brag about their achievements when in reality it's really quite insignificant. But, it makes them look good (and is probably encouraged) as it makes their parents look good.

Sure it's good spirited and all, but when the possibility of abduction, rape, and acid attacks is all over the zone, one might consider it's not a good idea to get out there, and just help their own country out (plenty of volunteers are still needed here everywhere to help!!!) where the risk is slightly less.

Then again, expecting those people to know or care about the world news or have some good logical thought about it? lol no

I managed to persuade a girl of 19/20 to not go to India for travel a few months back. Instead, now she's going South America. Not sure of the exact details, but I'm also not sure if it's any better lol

It's true that most people return without incident but still it's a risk due to all the random variables in a far away place. I sure as hell wouldn't let my children out like that ... (1. i cannot afford, 2. if they want to do something useful, go to the local homeless shelter lol).