Acid attack

An acid attack,^[1] also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault^[2][3][4] involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, or kill".^[5] Perpetrators of these attacks throw corrosive liquids at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. Acid attacks can lead to permanent partial or complete blindness.^[6]

The most common types of acid used in these attacks are sulfuric and nitric acid. Hydrochloric acid is sometimes used but is much less damaging.^[7] Aqueous solutions of strongly alkaline materials, such as caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or ammonia, are used as well, particularly in areas where strong acids are controlled substances.^[8][9][10]

The long-term consequences of these attacks may include blindness, as well as eye burns, with severe permanent scarring of the face and body,^[11][12][13] along with far-reaching social, psychological, and economic difficulties.^[5]

Although acid attacks occur all over the world, this type of violence is most common in developing regions,^[14] particularly South Asia.^[15] It is often a form of gender-based violence, with "a disproportionate impact on women" according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).^[16] However, in countries such as the United Kingdom where acid attacks are associated primarily with gang violence, the majority of both perpetrators and victims are male.^[17]