Criminologist Dr Aisha Gill has called for legal changes to address acid violence.
Her comments follow the well-publicised case of Awais Akram, who was left disfigured when concentrated sulphuric acid was poured over him in Leytonstone, east London, last July.
Mr Akram was attacked because of his relationship with Sadia Khatoon, who he met on Facebook. Her brother Mohammed Vakas, 26, of Walthamstow, was given a 30-year sentence for conspiracy to murder. Mohammed Adeel, 20, of Walthamstow, and Fabion Kuci, 17, of Harlesden, got 13- and eight-year sentences respectively for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. Both Adeel and Kuci were found not guilty of conspiracy to murder.
Dr Gill advised the Crown Prosecution Service at the early stages of this case and her input enabled the Crown to focus on the simple revenge element of the attack as opposed to the "honour" motive that was, unfortunately, not supported by evidence.
In sentencing the men, Judge Brian Barker said: “The facts of this case are horrifying. This was a remorseless and a heartless plan. It was to punish and kill Mr Akram in the most cruel and sadistic way. This was a terrible crime and all right-thinking citizens reject the premise on which it was done. There is no honour, and plots and actions such as this have no place in our society."
Dr Gill was one of the international expert advisers who attended an Expert Group Meeting on Gender-Based Violence organised by United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in May 2009.
