Economic impact of British acid attacks tallied at £60 million a year
The number of assaults, which often target girls and women, has more than tripled since 2014
Acid attacks cost Britain £60 million (US$80 million) a year, according to experts who say the number of attacks – which often target girls and women – has more than tripled since 2014.
The analysis, released on Monday, is the first attempt to evaluate the economic impact of acid attacks in Britain, which is looking at new measures to tackle the devastating crime.
Almost 950 attacks were reported last year, according to the charity Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).
“There is an obvious moral case for intervention, but these figures show that the costs associated with acid attacks are astronomical,” ASTI executive director Jaf Shah said.
ASTI and economics consultancy firm Frontier Economics estimated that each attack cost £63,000, and predicted the total cost between 2015 and 2020 would be about £345 million.
They looked at costs to the health service, including medical and psychosocial support, costs to the police, judicial and penal systems, and the cost to victims of lost earnings and reduced productivity.