After being a victim of a brutal crime, Gloria Kankuda, expressed her concerns on the justice that acid attack victims are receiving and the legal hope that they're looking for. Moreover, latest reports detailed on how their campaign has been going for the past 3 years.
Acid attacks are becoming more common now and is a brutal way to punish someone as they're being left badly scarred and traumatized, and now, Uganda victims campaigned their way to put a stop to these attacks. The Reuters wrote an article detailing the experience of a woman named Gloria Kankuda after she was attacked and determined herself not to let others share the same fate. The 33-year old is now campaigning to clamp down the sale of acid and to instigate heavier sanctions to those involve. Kankuda is a victim in 2012 after being attacked just outside her home which disfigured her face, blinded her in one eye and lastly, scarred the 70% of her whole body. Due to this, she's gone to more than 20 operations in just the past two years in a hospital in South Africa.
Though Kankuda wasn't given justice in court, her story won a national attention due to its nature and being one of the wives of Uganda's deputy attorney general as indicated by Daily Mail. Kankuda's statement over this kind of ruling was if her story didn't proved justifiable, what then others can do before adding "These scars will stay with me forever. No amount of plastic surgery will remove them." Now, activists are blaming the Uganda's legal system for the increase in acid attacks within the eastern district of Africa. While most common reasons on why these charges are being dropped are insufficient evidence and lack of concern with the victims.
Due to proving a lost cause in the legal system, Kankuda made an organization to let others be aware on the issues being detailed. In Thompson Reuters Foundation, Kankuda established the Centre for Rehabilitation of Survivors of Acid and Burns Violence (CERESAV) in 2012 to support other victims which are attacked over domestic disputes and rejected marriage proposals. Also, an online petition attracted atleast 300,000 signatures. Due to her campaign, the Toxic Chemicals Prohibition and Control bill was passed in November that will classify acid as a controlled substance and should regulate its sale. Kankuda is hoping that the bill will force the attackers to pay medical costs and serve stiff sentences.
Kankuda is one of the Uganda campaigners hoping for the legal hope to solve the numerous acid attacks in Uganda. Herself being a victim to this tremendous act, has started an online petition and organization to aid the passing of Toxic Chemicals Prohibition and Control act that would be a big step toward doing things right for the victims.
