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“I did not call the police; I run home as fast as I could while my friend was taken to the hospital by her parents,” recounts 15-year-old Sima.
The first few hours following an attack are considered the most important ones. With acid, the burning continues ‘dissolving’ the skin until it is neutralized. In countries such as Nepal attacks are believed to cause greater damage.Our daughter didn’t receive proper treatment even five hours after the attack,” Sangita’s family members said.
Acid violence rarely kills but it scars you for life. Experts say that women and girls are victims in 75-80 percent of cases. Of the female victims, about 30 percent are under 18. Acid attacks appear to bedisproportionately common in South Asia, according to the Acid Survivors Trust International. The prevalence of attacks in the region can be explained by the easy availability of acid which can be found “at the corner store and as cheap as 30 cents a litre”.
As far as Nepal is concerned, there is no concrete and reliable data. Most acid attacks are not reported and often remain unheard. Representatives of the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (Worec), said that survivors receive little support to access criminal and legal justice systems. Victims seeking justice face numerous legal hurdles and most are forced to drop criminal charges.
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