Judges want new acid law
Sep 11, 2008
Judges and magistrates have asked the government for a special law to punish people who pour acid on others. They suggested that culprits face life imprisonment or the ultimate death sentence if the victim died.
By Anne Mugisa and
Hillary Nsambu
Judges and magistrates have asked the government for a special law to punish people who pour acid on others. They suggested that culprits face life imprisonment or the ultimate death sentence if the victim died.
They said the attackers should be charged with attempted murder because of the lethal nature of the substance they used.
The judges and magistrates made the remarks during a conference on land laws at Ridar Hotel in Seeta, last week. They noted that cases of acid attacks by jilted lovers were increasing,
They viewed a documentary of acid attack victims, most of whom had been completely disfigured. Some of the victims were children and others victims of mistaken identity.
“We need to change the ingredients of the acid law. There should be special proceedings in dealing with acid cases,†Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Kabanda said.
The Coordinator of the Acid Survivors Foundation, Doreen Ayebare, said since 2001, acid attacks had increased with over 35 assaults annually.
She said the acid melts the skin, bone and even the skull of the victim, leaving permanent injury and disfigurement to their faces, necks and other parts of the body.
She said her organisation had registered 327 victims, 181 of whom were female and 146 male. She said 42 were children who fell victim because they were with their parents at the time of the attacks.
Ayebare observed, however, that only 12 cases had been concluded by the court, 34 were in court and 34 were still at investigation level. She lamented that some cases were abandoned at investigations level because of the difficulty in securing evidence.
The judges and magistrates said the perpetrators got away with imprisonment of about six years because they were charged with causing grievous harm. They said the difficulty in getting evidence should not be a hindrance because strong circumstantial evidence could be got to secure a conviction.
Hillary Nsambu
Judges and magistrates have asked the government for a special law to punish people who pour acid on others. They suggested that culprits face life imprisonment or the ultimate death sentence if the victim died.
They said the attackers should be charged with attempted murder because of the lethal nature of the substance they used.
The judges and magistrates made the remarks during a conference on land laws at Ridar Hotel in Seeta, last week. They noted that cases of acid attacks by jilted lovers were increasing,
They viewed a documentary of acid attack victims, most of whom had been completely disfigured. Some of the victims were children and others victims of mistaken identity.
“We need to change the ingredients of the acid law. There should be special proceedings in dealing with acid cases,†Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Kabanda said.
The Coordinator of the Acid Survivors Foundation, Doreen Ayebare, said since 2001, acid attacks had increased with over 35 assaults annually.
She said the acid melts the skin, bone and even the skull of the victim, leaving permanent injury and disfigurement to their faces, necks and other parts of the body.
She said her organisation had registered 327 victims, 181 of whom were female and 146 male. She said 42 were children who fell victim because they were with their parents at the time of the attacks.
Ayebare observed, however, that only 12 cases had been concluded by the court, 34 were in court and 34 were still at investigation level. She lamented that some cases were abandoned at investigations level because of the difficulty in securing evidence.
The judges and magistrates said the perpetrators got away with imprisonment of about six years because they were charged with causing grievous harm. They said the difficulty in getting evidence should not be a hindrance because strong circumstantial evidence could be got to secure a conviction.