Pakistani Acid-Attack Victims Fight for Justice: Now With Supreme Court Support

File this under about frakin' time. Pakistani survivors of acid attacks fighting back against their attackers now have the support of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Naila Farhat was 13 when she was ambushed by her science teacher and a "spurned suitor" who threw acid in her face, leaving her half-blind and disfigured. She spent six years pursuing justice. While her teacher allegedly bribed police officers and fled, her other attacker was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a fine of about $15,000. He appealed to a high court, which reduced the fine and waived jail time if he paid it.

The story could have ended there, another tragic case of a failed justice system. Instead, Farhat appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Court decided in her favor, restoring the original sentence, and making Farhat the first woman to win an acid-attack case before the Supreme Court. In its ruling, the Court urged the government to pass laws controlling the sale of acid and providing harsher sentences for attackers. Activists continued their lobbying efforts and the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act is now before parliament.

If adopted, the Act would increase the maximum jail sentence for disfigurement to life in prison, require the attackers to pay hefty fines and their victims' medical expenses, list commonly available acids as dangerous substances, ban the sale of acids to people without a license, and increase the penalty for unlawful sales from $6 to $1,200.

Accurate statistics on acid attacks are difficult to obtain, and representatives from the Progressive Women's Association in Rawalpindi and the Acid Survivors Foundation estimate that only 30 percent of attacks are reported. There is a stigma and shame associated with acid attacks, and persecutors too often are not punished. Thanks to the work of activists and courageous women like Naila Farhat, the culture of impunity may be changing.

Photo credit: Sand Paper