Acid throwing (acid attack or vitriolage) is a form of violent assault. It is defined as the act of throwing acid onto the body of a person with the intention of injuring or disfiguring him or her out of jealousy or revenge. Perpetrators of these attacks throw acid at their victims, usually at their faces, burning them, and damaging skin tissue, often exposing and sometimes dissolving the bones. The long-term consequences of these attacks include blindness and permanent scarring of the face and body. These attacks are most common in Cambodia, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other nearby countries. According to the scholars Taru Bahl and MH Syed, 80 percent of the victims of these acid attacks are female and almost 70 percent are under 18 years of age. Concerning religion, 91 percent of the attacks worldwide are committed by Muslims.
