Acid Attacks: An Overview of Legal Measures and Motivation Trends in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, and Cambodia

Abstract

Acid attacks (vitriolage) are a form of violence that occurs in most countries of the world. Cases of acid attacks are no longer peculiar to developing countries; they also occur in western counties. This article analyses the legislative measures adopted by India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Colombia, and Cambodia to combat acid attacks. It highlights the comparative strengths and weaknesses of these measures. It also examines the most important trends about the motivations of perpetrators reported in the literature in these countries, highlighting the sex-based nature of the phenomenon.