Acid attacks must be considered as another form of extreme violence against women: the authorities

The recent visibility that the the women victims of gender violence and acid attacks revealed the urgency of regulating these corrosive substances and adapt legislation provide effective protection and access to justice for affected families.

Mexico currently has no legislation to prevent and control these Violent and hateful acts towards women, which has generated a wave of impunity among the perpetrators.
Testimonies like that of Nirvana García, Carmen Sánchez o Ana Elena Saldaña, they report on the frequency of this manifestation of extreme violence in the country and the silence that has prevailed for years between the authorities and civil society with regard to serious problem.

Yesterday the conversation took placeExtreme violence against women. Attacks with acids or Corrosive substancess: Challenges for the effective protection of rights and access to justice ", organized at the Human Rights Commission of Mexico (CDHCDMX).

The purpose of the meeting attended by the Superior Court of Justice (TSJCDMX), the Women's Secretariat of Mexico City and the Office of the Deputy Attorney Victims of crime and Community Services, in addition to various specialists, was to open the dialogue around this problem and generate integral solutions.

The deputy Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, who recently introduced an initiative in Congress to punish those who use substances corrosive or acidicIn order to harm another person, he emphasized during the discussion the importance of understanding that all case of extreme violence women are victims, end up in femicide, so we must distinguish any harm from those who are committed reason of gender.

In this regard, several experts pointed out that acid attacks must be understood as the culmination of a series of misogynistic attacks and gender violence that victims have experienced. The acid attack is intended to damage the appearance of women and their physical integrity, by to humiliate them in front of society.

"The attacks with acid are a way to torture women, to punish them for not complying with the wishes of the other, "said one of the participants in the symposium. they were burned with corrosive material, they have been subjected to acts of violence and aggression for years. Public humiliation, beatings, threats and even attempted murder.

Therefore, acid attacks are a expression of feminist violence. The close relationship they maintain with each other makes the generation of prevention strategies control access to corrosive substances.

Victims of acid burns in Mexico

"You have to regulate the sale of acid because for 25 pesos, everyone can buy a boat in a hardware store, "said Alessandra Rojo in an interview with Infobae Mexico.

The country does not have data on this crime, however, Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), a specialized organization that works with the United Nations, calculates the following: there are more than 1500 attacks a yearwhose 80% are women.

As the number of cases has increased over the past 20 years, "it is therefore impossible to continue without legislation and support to victims"

Adapting the legal framework to violence experienced by women is the only way to prevent gender inequalities in access to justice from perpetuating. So we have to understand that extreme violence can only be clbadified in femicide.

Gender violence in figures

The reason of gender is the key, because the aggressions committed against him are of a pbadionate nature, with a sense of ownership, jealousy and disappointmentbut most importantly, they happen the simple fact of being a woman.

Gender-based violence is one of the most critical moments in its history. Mexico Data provided by the authorities during the discussion revealed that in 2018, 1,072 applications for protective measures had been made to the TSJCDMX in criminal matters, 912 of which were from women and women.92% were related to the ban on approaching the victim or at your place. Until here in 2019, 144 women They asked for the same type of measures.

The violence in Mexico is also increasing. According to the report of criminal incidence of 2018, violations increased by 124.2% in the city compared to last year while the Femicide increased 8.6%. The city ranks 19th in terms of feminist violence in the country and only the past has opened 40 cases investigating this crime.

This is the first time that the annual rate increases since 2015, the year of the beginning of the registration of the National Secretariat for Public Security, according to official information. In addition, there is a prevalence of violence against women in this region, 50 out of 100 women reported experiencing a type of violence, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) 2014.

Comprehensive care to fight against revictimization

The misogynist violence it is a reality that can however be controlled and regulated. In this direction, Mexico you have to start by controlling access to Sulfuric acid and caustic soda, which are the two most common with which the victims are injured.

It must generate a complete answer, with an inter-institutional dialogue that trains and sensitizes workers to the victims, who have so far given testimonies incompetence by different instances for asesorarlas and support them.

Victim care must go beyond the immediate attention that it's up to them, acid attacks leave consequences that will last a lifetime, before what is a government responsibility ensure your well-being and your safety.

In addition, an effective measure must be taken against the aggressors and a medical service endowed gender perspective, to avoid cases like Carmen Sánchez, to whom her doctor, the ISSSTE, said that she the surgeries were of aesthetic charactercontinues to repeat.

How the initiative was born

Alessandra Red, member of the Green Party caucus, has taken the first step to characterize these crimes, which aims to establish a sentence of 14 years in prison for those who commit this crime.

His initiative touches him personally, as one of the the victimsAna Elena Saldaña, contacted her for ask for help. So he said it in an interview.

"When he contacted me, I asked him what could it help, what could he doand that's when we found that there was a legal vacuum. "

As a result of which Ana became visual, more victims contacted her. "More and more victims have gone to the country, not only in Mexico, but in Puebla, in the State of Mexico, Pachuca. "

In response, the Deputy Minister presented these reforms of the law. He expects this to be decided soon, because there are exemplary punishments urgently. "

Rojo de la Vega said that they also saw the possibility that these people could access the government's funds for raped women and generate better strategies for them to receive. psychological, physical and legal care.

Although a law reform does not return the appearance of victims, the correct treatment of their affairs could help them recover your security, its integrity and his life. Well, as one of the victims in the conversation said, "Women want to live freelywe want to live safely in this city and in this country ".