A system that fails acid attack victims

It is a matter of deep shame that India’s criminal justice system has badly failed victims of acid attacks, which are among the most sordid crimes committed against women. Nearly 88% of such cases remain pending in courts, despite the Supreme Court previously flagging these delays. A two-judge bench of the court headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has directed registrars of high courts to provide details of pending trials in acid attack cases to the court within four weeks. The court has also asked the Solicitor General of India to consider proposing amendments to the law on disabilities to help acid attack victims. These directives arose from a case in which the victim has been awaiting a verdict for 16 years, with virtually no progress made during that period. Among the cases brought before the court were also cases in which the victims were forcibly made to ingest acid, leaving them with severe internal injuries. It observed that perpetrators of such brutality deserve punishment even more stringent than what is prescribed under the UAPA.

Latest figures reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show that there were 207 cases of acid attack in 2023. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat reported the most number of cases. The actual figures may be more. Studies have shown that most attacks are due to rejection of marriage proposals or resistance to sexual advances. The trauma created by an acid attack is very deep and lasts a lifetime. Because of the disfigurement, many victims withdraw from society. Many find it difficult to get jobs, and even lose the support of their family. Some victims have committed suicide. Most continue to endure severe physical and psychological consequences of the attacks and require long-term treatment.

Of the 735 cases which are slated for trial, 649 have been pending for years. Apart from suggesting amendments to the law, the court also proposed setting up special courts which can conduct the cases on a day-to-day basis. Currently, there is no legal provision for free medical treatment and rehabilitation of victims. The government should make such a provision. Facilities for specialised treatment, including plastic surgery, should be made available to all victims. There is a demand that the government should facilitate their treatment in private hospitals, too, if necessary. In 2013, the Supreme Court imposed restrictions on the sale of acid in the market, but these are only observed in the breach. Unfortunately, the victims of the worst form of gender violence are denied justice in every way.