Number of attacks using acid triples in 6 years in Britain

Assaults involving acid or other corrosives being thrown at people have risen sharply during a six-year period in England, records indicate. Latest NHS hospital figures indicate 144 assaults in a 2011-2012 12-month period involved corrosive substances, such as acid, gasoline, bleach and kerosene, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday. The number was 56 six years previous to the latest data year. Experts said they believe many of the acid cases were tied to the Asian community, with women being attacked for refusing forced marriages and men attacked over dowry disputes, the Telegraph said. Jaf Shah, executive director of Acid Survivors Trust International, said many attacks in Britain weren't reported because of a fear of reprisals. "There is a reluctance among women in the Asian community to come forward," Shah said. "These attacks do not usually come from strangers, but from someone close to them in the community -- a husband, a father, or their family."