Natalia Ponce de León
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Natalia Ponce de León (c.1981 - ) is a Colombian woman who successfully campaigned for a law targeting perpetrators of acid attacks in her country. Natalia, who was a successful business woman, had a litre of sulphuric acid thrown on her face and body by Jonathan Vega[1] on March 27, 2014.[2] Natalia has undergone 15 reconstruction surgeries on her face and body since the attack.
However, her case was not an isolated incident, three years before the attack took place Colombia reported one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world;[3] notheless, there was not an effective law in place until Natalia's campaign took off in the months after her attack. The new law, which is named after her, defines acid attacks as a specific crime and increases maximum sentences to 50 years in jail for convicted offenders.[4] The law also aims to provide victims with better state medical care including reconstructive surgery and psychological therapy. Natalia bravely spoke publicly with a protective mask during her campaigning; however, she decided to show her face when the book El renacimiento de Natalia Ponce de León (The Rebirth of Natalia Ponce de León), which tells her story, was published in April 2015.[5]
References
- ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El. "Avanza el juicio contra Jonathan Vega, el agresor de Natalia Ponce - Bogotá - El Tiempo". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ aljazeera.com retrieved 8th Dec 2016
- ^ "Colombia, líder vergonzoso en ataques con ácido". www.fucsia.co. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ Daily Record retrieved 8th Dec 2016
- ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El. "El renacimiento de Natalia Ponce de León - Justicia - El Tiempo". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-12-08.