Ending the Cycle of Impunity for Acid Crimes in Cambodia

In Cambodia a culture of impunity surrounds acid violence. In the majority of cases offenders escape trial and conviction for these heinous crimes. The advent of a new Acid Law has been seen as a means of curbing the problem of acid violence. However, the fact that the perpetrators of the three abhorrent acid crimes committed so far this year – of which we know of – continue to be at large emphasizes that for the new legislation to have an impact there needs to be a fundamental shift in the manner in which crimes are investigated and how acid cases are tried. Without this shift, the effect of the new law will be negligible and impunity will continue. The purpose of this Report is to assist the Royal Government of Cambodia (the “RGC”), its ministries, the police and the judiciary by examining the failings and obstacles that victims face at the reporting, investigating and trial stages of the criminal justice process that feeds the cycle of impunity that perpetuates the problem of acid violence.