Neela’s husband is now in jail, the result of a year’s campaigning by local charities including ActionAid. But few perpetrators are punished: of the 2,742 reported acid attacks in the last 10 years in Bangladesh, fewer than 450 have resulted in a conviction. Eyewitnesses remain too scared to testify and, due to lack of evidence, the courts reject many cases. Victims also suffer from psychological problems. Patients who are admitted to Dhaka Medical College – the only burns unit in the country – are offered long-term psychosocial support. A woman’s face is seen as sacred; to permanently scar it brings dishonour to the family and is seen as a public mark of shamePhotograph: Nicolas Axelrod/ActionAid