Acid Attacks

Guest: Jaf Shah, Executive Director of Acid Survivors Trust International  Their stories usually contain the same elements: a young girl, a spurned suitor, and a savage act of violence using a weapon as ubiquitous as pencils or paper. Acid attacks are a serious problem in countries including India, Bangladesh and Cambodia, where sulfuric and nitric acids are commonly used in factories. Once it makes contact with the skin, acid burns away at the flesh. If it’s not fatal, the acid leaves behind horrific scars and can render a victim blind, deaf or without the use of their hands.