Issues and problems involving acid attacks against male victims in India

Abstract

Acid attacks involve dousing a victim with a concentrated acidic or caustic fluid. The head and face are most often targeted to maximize the chances of disfigurement, as the intention is usually to cause life-long disability, pain and lack of psychological wellbeing rather than death. In India it is often regarded as a form of gender-based violence aimed predominantly at women, frequently following the rejection of a proposed sexual relationship, however, a significant subset of cases involve males. Four cases are reported to demonstrate the different reasons for such attacks in males including revenge for reporting criminal activity, intra-familial disputes and apparently random episodes. Male acid attack victims may represent an over-looked subgroup that often does not receive adequate compensation or government support to access disability services, despite this being mandated by recent legislation.