LOGIN DASHBOARD

    Features

    3 MIN READ

    New law cranks up penal measures against acid attackers

    The Record, September 29, 2020, Kathmandu

    New law cranks up penal measures against acid attackers

      Share this article

    New ordinances signed by the President aimed at reducing acid attacks which have been on the rise in Nepal in recent years

    (The Record)

    Acid attackers in Nepal could now face up to 20 years of imprisonment, along with a fine of NRs 1 million, ever since President Bidya Devi Bhandari certified a set of legislations on Monday aimed at strengthening laws against acid attacks. President Bhandari enacted three ordinances as per the cabinet’s recommendations to regulate the sale of acid and make necessary amendments in the Criminal Offence and Criminal Procedures Act and Nepal Police Act, to ensure harsher punishments for perpetrators.

    The ordinances, depending on the severity of physical harm inflicted on the victim, prescribe a jail term of up to 20 years and a hefty fine against anyone throwing acid on people or hiring others to do so. The law classifies the loss of vision due to damage to both eyes, loss of hearing due to damage to both ears, and the complete disfigurement of face due to severe burns as ‘serious harm.’ The list also includes severe physical harm inflicted on women’s breasts and genitals.  

    Similarly, the ordinance envisions a penalty of NRs 700,000 to NRs 1 million in addition to a jail term of 10 to 20 years for offenses with less severe physical harm. This category includes assaults including the partial damage of eyes, ears, face, breast, legs and hands and the head and the spinal cord. Perpetrators could face imprisonment of five to ten years and would have to pay NRs 100,000 to NRs 500,000 in fines even in case of minor disfigurements of the body part. If a victim dies in the backdrop of an acid attack, the perpetrator could face murder charges. Other notable provisions of the ordinances include the arrangement of free treatment for victims of acid attacks and greater scrutiny on the production and sale of acid. 

    Read also: How acid attacks are fueled by a corrosive culture of male entitlement

    The new law is significant given that it puts acid attack in the list of henious crimes with punishments akin to murder and rape. Earlier, offenders would face a penalty of upto NRs 300,000 and a sentence of five to eight years, depending on the seriousness of the attack. Although an offender could face homicide charges if the victim died, the law was silent on the timeframe of death.

    After years of lobbying for changes, acid attack survivors and rights groups have welcomed the new law. 

    “Jai hos!” activist Ujjwal Bikram Thapa tweeted while sharing a news report on the enactment of the new ordinances. Thapa has been supporting acid survivors in legal recourse and by helping them find jobs. He has also been campaigning for harsher laws against acid attacks alongside some recent survivors.

    In recent history, Nepal has seen a startling rise in the case of acid attacks. According to Nepal Police, 18 women and four men have become victims of acid attacks in the last seven years. Although the first acid attack can be traced back to the 19th century, such cases have begun to receive prominence in the media only after the attack on Sangita Magar in 2016. A year later, the activism and lobbying following Magar’s case led to a landmark Supreme Court decision regarding the provision of financial assistance by the government for treatment.

    Government officials, survivors, and right activists hope that harsher sentences will discourage people from perpetrating acid-based violence. They also urge the government to invest in awareness campaigns while calling for support packages for survivors.



    author bio photo

    The Record  We are an independent digital publication based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our stories examine politics, the economy, society, and culture. We look into events both current and past, offering depth, analysis, and perspective. Explore our features, explainers, long reads, multimedia stories, and podcasts. There’s something here for everyone.



    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    Previous Next

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    COVID19

    Opinions

    6 min read

    The politics over life and death

    Avasna Pandey - September 15, 2020

    We anthropomorphize the economy by using words such as 'healthy' to describe it, while reducing human beings who live and breathe to mere numbers

    Perspectives

    6 min read

    I am a Tharu from Chitwan and I ask, conservation for whom?

    Birendra Mahato - August 17, 2021

    If local people do not gain any benefits from national parks and buffer zones, whom is this conservation for?

    Perspectives

    4 min read

    The systemic silencing of stories of harassment

    Kabita Bahing - September 3, 2021

    Stories of abuse and harassment at educational institutions continue to emerge but there are few consequences for the perpetrators.

    COVID19

    Opinions

    3 min read

    Bring them back

    Brabim Kumar , Samrat Katwal - April 15, 2020

    Many stranded at the Nepal-India border are seasonal migrants who ought to be brought back and allowed to work on their farmlands

    Features

    4 min read

    Art in the time of Covid-19: even more visual artists

    Record Nepal - April 2, 2021

    The Record is back with its mini-series of artists and the projects they worked on during the lockdown and the pandemic.

    Features

    6 min read

    A howl for justice

    Nishi Rungta - May 20, 2022

    Galvanized by a series of videos detailing one woman’s harrowing experiences of being raped as a minor, Nepali women and men take to the streets in protest.

    Features

    4 min read

    For the working class, more than health is at stake

    The Record - March 29, 2020

    The coronavirus is fast becoming a financial crisis that is set to have a disastrous impact on the wellbeing of the already marginalised

    COVID19

    News

    3 min read

    Empty hotels, empty trails

    Record Nepal - May 8, 2020

    The disruption in the tourism industry has hit hardest those working irregularly, like porters and guides.

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy