Woman suffers PTSD after acid attack masterminded by ex-husband

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A 37-year-old Bahraini woman is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following a vicious acid attack orchestrated by her ex-husband, the High Criminal Court heard on Monday.

The penultimate hearing before the verdict highlighted the victim’s profound physical and emotional trauma.

Medical reports revealed she sustained 60% permanent disability, severely limiting the movement of her left arm and fingers.

Attack

Her 41-year-old ex-husband earlier denied involvement, but his 28-year-old nephew confessed to carrying out the attack at his uncle’s behest.

A court-ordered mental evaluation of the nephew concluded that he was responsible for his actions, a finding confirmed in a medical report presented on Monday.

The victim testified that while in a mall parking lot with her daughters, they alerted her to a masked man.

Ex-husband

Attempting to photograph him, believing it to be her ex-husband, she was attacked. The masked man, later identified as the nephew, threw a container of liquid, causing severe burns.

A witness confirmed her account, describing a masked individual throwing liquid before fleeing.

Security footage

Police presented security footage that led to the nephew’s identification and the recovery of the mask.

Further investigation uncovered phone calls between the uncle and nephew before and after the attack, with the nephew allegedly confessing to completing the “task.”

Forensic evidence, including DNA from the mask and hat, and chemical analysis of the victim’s clothing, confirmed the presence of sulfuric acid.

Orders

The nephew, who claims to have autism and a history of mental health issues, initially confessed, stating he acted on his uncle’s orders to exact revenge after the victim reported him.

The ex-husband, nabbed in Kuwait and extradited to Bahrain, maintains his innocence, claiming he was out of the country at the time of the attack.

The verdict is expected to be issued on February 25, 2025.