Acid attacks on Indonesian women prompt calls to tighten chemical sales

In Indonesia, a university student was preparing to go to church on Christmas Eve when a man broke into her apartment and subjected her to an attack that would leave her with lifelong scars. The man allegedly splashed acid on her face and body as she stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel. Police said the victim screamed, and the attacker then fled the scene.

This brutal attack is one of a string of acid attacks in Indonesia in 2024, many of which were carried out by men against women. Police have charged Billy Wilson, a master’s student at a university in Yogyakarta, who had been in a three-year relationship with the victim but “could not accept” their breakup in August 2024. He allegedly found the attacker, Satim, through a Facebook recruitment.

The chairwoman of the National Commission on Violence Against Women, Andy Yentriyani, said that acid attacks can be a “very gendered act” and are often used as a means of “revenge” after a relationship breaks down. She noted that perpetrators know that acid will disfigure women, thereby limiting their opportunities to form relationships with others. She also said the commission would launch a study to collect and review data on the attacks as a first step towards addressing the problem.

Police said Satim purchased a liter of acid from a chemical factory using 1.6 million Indonesian rupiah (about $159 USD) in “operational funds” paid by Billy Wilson. He was also promised 7 million Indonesian rupiah (about $695 USD) if he successfully attacked the woman. Both men have been arrested and charged with aggravated assault under Indonesia’s criminal code.

The recent attacks have also raised concerns about insufficient regulation of chemical sales. Surahman Hidayat, a member of parliament from the Prosperous Justice Party, urged the Indonesian government to tighten regulations and better monitor the use and sale of chemicals used in attacks. He argued that acid is currently too cheap and easily accessible. While some experts welcomed the idea, they also said it would do little to prevent attacks, and chemicals are easily purchased online.

Ms. Yentriyani suggested the government could also help victims pay for the costly surgeries required after acid attacks. The woman attacked with acid on Christmas Eve suffered severe physical injuries and will reportedly undergo plastic surgery and treatment in the coming months. Just days after the Yogyakarta incident, another acid attack in West Java left a 46-year-old woman and her two children hospitalized. Police said the woman’s husband splashed her with chemicals when he “reached his emotional peak” during an argument. Authorities said the husband accused his wife of having an affair and acted out of jealousy. The attack also injured their 12- and 18-year-old children when they tried to protect their mother. The man has been arrested and charged under Indonesia’s domestic violence law.

Across several countries in Asia, there are documented cases of men using acid to attack women, with experts defining such attacks as a form of gender-based violence. A 2019 Human Rights Watch report on acid attacks in Cambodia noted the “gendered aspects” of some attacks, while acid attacks against women in India also increased that same year. However, there have also been some high-profile acid attacks against men. In 2017 in Indonesia, two men on a motorbike threw acid at Novel Baswedan, then an investigator for the anti-corruption commission, causing him to lose sight in one eye. In 2024, a Malaysian football player was severely injured after being splashed with acid.

However, Ms. Yentriyani said that the recent acid attacks are evidence that “violence against women in Indonesia is increasing.” She argued that acid is often the weapon of choice when men want to inflict permanent damage and have a lasting impact on women. She added that the physical scars, as well as the damage to a woman’s face and body, mean she no longer fits the “beauty paradigm” of how women should look. Ms. Yentriyani said the study aims to investigate the motivations behind the attacks, how the attacks affect victims’ daily lives, and potential interventions. The findings could be used to make policy recommendations to the Indonesian government.

In 2024, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection recorded 24,973 cases of violence against women, compared to 6,217 cases of violence against men in the same year. Sharyn Davies, an associate professor of Indonesian Studies at Monash University, said that “violence against women in Indonesia is driven by unchallenged patriarchal norms, legal loopholes, poor law enforcement and socio-economic reasons.” Dr. Davies argued that regulating chemical sales “wouldn’t do much” and called on authorities to “respond better and earlier” to prevent violence against women. She added that survivors face stigma, lack of support, and systemic barriers to accessing justice, especially in rural areas where services are scarce and traditional values are stronger. She emphasized that "addressing the problem requires comprehensive legal reform, community engagement to challenge harmful norms, gender-sensitive training for law enforcement, and better support systems for survivors." The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection has been contacted for comment.