SAUDI ACID VICTIM RECOUNTS STIGMATIZATION ORDEAL

Thirty-year-old acid attack victim, Memuna Malik has recounted how she was stigmatized anytime she stepped out. Memuna got disfigured after a lady called Salomey, poured on her a substance believed to be acid which instantly burnt her face in far-away Riyad, Saudi Arabia. She explained that the unfortunate incident happened to her on the 24th of December, 2018 after she had closed from work and decided to go and braid her hair at one Rabi’s hair salon. According to here, “as Rabi was braiding my hair, she stopped to go and eat. While she was eating, there was a knock at the door and she asked me to help her open it. As soon as I opened the door, all I saw was that someone pushed me and poured a substance on me. That was my end”, she said.

Salomey was subsequently imprisoned by a court in the Gulf country but Memuna does not know if she has been released. The young lady said, she had several thoughts of killing herself because when she looked at her face in the mirror she had no hope in life.

In an interview with crimecheckghana, Memuna said she had to constantly veil her face to hide her ‘horrifying’ look from the public to prevent mockery. However, that did not stop people from pointing fingers at her, as they continued to ask why she had to cover her face and other parts of her body which got deformed. “When I covered my face and passed by people, I heard them talk about my dressing. I pretended I didn’t hear what they said and continued to where I was heading to”, she said.

However, after undergoing her first series of successful plastic surgeries through the support of Crime Check Foundation (CCF) and its donors, she is happy about her rapid recovery. “When I went to the Korle-Bu teaching hospital for my routine check-ups after the surgery, the doctors were amazed when they saw me. They said they didn’t expect it would take shape this fast. Now, I only have to put on my glasses and then I go out freely”, She said.

She expressed gratitude to CCF’s donors and well-wishers for their continuous support. However, she is appealing for a further support as she prepares to undergo another phase of surgeries.

As an implementing partner of the USAID Justice Sector Support Activity (JSSA), CCF is making frantic efforts to get her further support for medical treatment as the Foundation also pushes for justice for her.

The JSSA is an intervention that seeks to reinforce efforts by the US Government to enhance Ghana’s justice delivery system by increasing Citizen Oversight and Monitoring of Criminal Cases, increasing citizen knowledge and access to Justice Sector services   and strengthening advocacy for accountability of key justice sector institutions for improved justice delivery in Ghana.

The many others whose rights have been abused or may have become victims of similar circumstances may contact the JSSA helpline, 0203799978.