Acid attacks, which involve throwing corrosive substances into the faces of victims, have increased in East Asian countries and spread into other parts of the world. Blindness, deafness, severe scarring, and psychological trauma are some of the many horrible side effects brought on by such vicious acts.

“Victims must endure painful surgical procedures just to prevent further harm and suffering. If not washed off immediately, acid continues to burn the skin, and may eventually cause skeletal damage and organ failure. If the dead skin is not removed from an acid violence victims’ body within four or five days, the new skin may grow to cause further facial deformities,” a report from the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice explained.

The organization found that India has experienced a steady increase in attacks over the last decade and Telegraph reported that the number of incidents in England has tripled in just six years.

“Experts say they believe many of the cases involving acid are linked to Asian communities, with women attacked by their husbands and punished for refusing forced marriages, while men were attacked during disputes over dowries. Jaf Shah, executive director of Acid Survivors Trust International said that many attacks in Britain were not reported, because women targeted lived in fear of reprisals.”

In Zanzibar, Tanzania, two British teenagers were ambushed by men on a moped who unexpectedly poured acid on them. The girls suffered severe burns on large portions of their bodies.

The New York Times stated, “The ordeal raised questions about…whether acid attacks—a particularly nasty type of assault that can leave victims disfigured for life—may be spreading to places where there is no history of them.”