Investigating the Punishment of Acid Predators

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

מאמר מאת עו"ד עודד ווסוק אודות הפרקטיקה של התזת חומצה על פניהן של נשים באירן.

One of the measures used by the Iranian regime to suppress the frequent protests against it is the use of violent means. In this context, the use of acid against women who do not wear modest clothing has become a popular mean. In recent years, there have been a number of cases of spraying of acids on the face of women in Iran by the regime's forces, under the cover that this was done by citizens suffering from mental problems. In this context, the various enactments in Iran have been referred to in this regard. I saw fit to review this issue.

This crime, which usually occurs on the face of the victim, is generally motivated by the destruction of the future and the constant victimization of the victim. Unfortunately, in practice, this happens, and the victim of crime, for a long time, and perhaps even for the rest of his life, suffered physical harm and The psychological mass of this crime will not be rid of.

As noted, the reference to this issue in Iranian literature and even legislation is small, but recently was a reference of Ezatollah Yousefian Mulla, a member of the Parliamentary Legal and Judicial Commission.

How is the acidity of the legally defined and what is its punishment?

Every crime has a motive and the perpetrators commit crimes with various motives. In each case, it should be checked that the perpetrator's intention is to commit a crime. Perpetrators may be motivated by family disputes, retaliation, or mental illness. It is also possible that the perpetrator's motive is to disrupt the public order and create fear and terror, in which case it can be said that it has a political motive. Therefore, when a crime, including acidity, is realized, it must examine the motive and, based on It punished.

The punishment for caustic acid is a crime, but it is as much as the damage it has caused. Meanwhile, the punishment increases as the injury sustains. For example, if a person has a disability, a retaliation can be given and the exact same member will be eliminated to the same extent. Also, if they lead to injuries that do not cause defects, they should pay a diyah. If the injury is horrific, then the death penalty can be taken into consideration.

Do not have a specific law to deal with acid sprays?

There is now a law that can respond to this crime. Of course, it is possible to define this crime, in isolation from the rules and regulations of the penal code, and in fact to make it clearer. To do this, the responsible authorities should, by drafting the bill, independently exacerbate the punishment for the acidity of the mass.

Again, I emphasize that we are already in the law and there is no specific problem with the acidity problem, and that the same injury, injury, and physical injury suffice, but there may be clearer rules, although we do not have the law.

Should not the punishment of molten acid be equal to moharebeh?

If you intend to scare people with cold weapons or firearms without causing any injuries, such as scaring people with a knife or weapon, or even with acid glass, then this crime may be punishable by moharebeh or execution.

How do you assess the consequences of this crime for someone who is being acidified and his family and, ultimately, for society?

However, when a crime is committed, the injured family suffers from mental discomfort and also has to bear a lot of costs due to the loss of a member or the beauty of one of the family members. These works are visible for a long time. On the other hand, the family of the perpetrator is also a victim of disrespect and decreases his social credibility, because society often looks at the family badly. In this way, there is the possibility of avoiding the community for such families.

What is the general and social aspect of acidification?

Each crime has two aspects: first, the personal aspect is that the amount of injury and damage injured on one's body can injure a dying person or a retribution; secondly, the general aspect of crime is the legislator's concern. If the mass of acidity occurs in public, causing people's fear and concern and disturbing the general public order, it will be punishable from two years' imprisonment to execution. Indeed, in this case, the judge can choose one of these steps, in addition to the Diyah, with his own discretion and according to the legal and legal principles.

Given the high cost of treatment for a person subject to acid attack, is there a protective law in this regard?

No, someone who is injured is like someone who has been stroke or become ill, and anyway, when he is injured, he needs treatment and healing treatment using his health insurance. Of course, in the case of recent acid sprays, some charity organizations have helped to cure them, but there is no special law to protect such patients.

Do we need cultural actions to deal with acid? How can you build it in this case?

Certainly, such measures are necessary and efficient. Of course, before doing this, it is necessary to prevent the free supply of acid. These materials should be provided where they are used and should not be easily prepared. It is also necessary to warn all acid-consuming factories that they will be punished if this material causes injury to an individual. Acid-based production units should be monitored to allow the material to be removed from the public.