SHE was barely 17, full of ambition and hope, when it happened; today she is scarred by acid thrown by “a man weh she did deh wid”. Her disfigurement beside the photograph of an attractive teenager with ambitions and dreams was moving. Her face was revolting, her gait twisted; painful. It brought me to tears.

Her scream was primordial — surprise, fear, excruciating pain. Who knew she had it in her? She awoke from induced oblivion weeks later swathed in white fabric with a body which did not compute; confusing as she did not know it.

Now in her 20s, broken, glum; like a gargoyle on a Victorian building she glared through opaque lenses, and my anger welled as I heard the beauty inside. Her molten flesh flowed from her head, engulfed cheeks, nose and her hand, used by instinct to ward off the evil brew, bonded with her face, lips to teeth; jawbone hung by a strand. Yet, she had life.

She accepted her “get well” cards as well-intentioned, gallows humour; 30 seconds changed her life forever. She never asked who or why, as in her heart she knew and broke into uncontrollable sobbing. Her life did not end, her living did. She is serving a life sentence, he got five years — justice is blind!

We are creatures of vanity and a wise man said, “Of all my mother’s children I love myself the best!” She does not like herself now, and the evil man would be free long before God freed her of her broken body. This is a hard saying.

Pretty Lynn Pereira in the UK was also a victim. She was doused with a gallon of acid. After 140 surgical procedures her new face is pretty but her mind scarred, spirit broken; confidence stolen and molten body parts in designer clothing are no joy.

Poor 26-year-old Sandra of Arnold Road had no access to these medical miracles here, but survived; what’s to be done?

Weaponised acid is new, but acid has been used for centuries. Europe, Middle East, Arabia are old hands with acid. Today, sulphuric and hydrochloric acid, first made by Greeks and Arabs, are not in nature yet fully deployed as weapons. Bangladesh had hundreds of attacks a year. Imagine, these acids are in our body, contained by serious buffers and vital to breaking down foods in the stomach, yet we live. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

In Britain, acid attacks grew from 58 in 2005 to over 100 now, and Jamaicans are in it. They will craft laws which we will no doubt copy as acid, like a kitchen knife is in every cupboard and should be regulated as other lethal weapons.

The victims are usually women, the attacker men. The motive? Envy, jealousy, greed; men asserting power over female bodies and emotions. The man gets his wish “if I can’t have you no one will!” and gloats a twisted heroism in prison. Peeps say threats of acid attack to blackmail or force compliance are many. The very mention changes the resolute even in the workplace.

How may we punish perpetrators and discourage acid attack? Acid should be classed as a weapon and the supply chain from import to final user by permit, recorded, controlled, and spent acid tracked to disposal in secure sites or receptacles for re-export. Importer, vendor; transport, storage persons should be trained, licensed and purchasers produce ID as for a gun. Concealed acid in public spaces should be an offence and unaccounted for stock investigated by the police. The penalty for acid attack should equal the “life sentence” the victim serves. The death penalty in Bangladesh brought attacks to a single digit. Law can change behaviour swiftly in a way education can’t. Acid burns must be notifiable and data used. School, hospital, doctor must report acid burns on children as peeps say some adults use acid to punish kids or to get sex. The video of the MoBay attack in 2014 was horrible, and last month when the gay man tired of taunting, threw acid on his nemesis and turned himself into Hunt’s Bay station, what happened? Peeps say some kids carry acid as defence. There are no angels here.

We need an Equalities and Rights Commission

Since Independence, we have a history of race and colour prejudice and abuse. In the West, minorities are usually protected by the majority. Coming from a liberal tradition, I feel vulnerable in African or Arab states, as old culture is strong. Who can talk to, go out with or marry whom; who can drive a car or must speak and be served first based on family, caste or tribe is dictated. This is not my culture.

In Europe law rules and the impulse of the man in the street is to order. At Hyde Park in London a black man cuss the white police standing by and the prime minister too. Don’t try this in Arabia or Africa. I have been lost in the UK and driven home by white police with “Yes, Sir” on their lips. Whatever is in their hearts is God’s business. I was at Denbigh queuing for a urinal and a man pushed past the white man next in line, “Cho, yu stan’ up like yu nuh wan use di tilet.” I protested from far behind he shouted: “Gweh bwoy, after di white man nuh mind.” He knew the man would say nothing as a black mass is intimidating.

Pressure for an Equalities and Rights Commission is growing. Intolerance, prejudice of all sorts, abuse of minorities seep into the culture since Independence and take root. Many swallow their spit, as to defend themselves is to invite aggression, enmity, retribution. If I take offence you have given offence. Will “Chinie nyam dog” or “white oppressor” or “two fi one coolie” expose our “out of many one” as a sham? Some say the “Chinie man” spit in their food in the kitchen, as we can’t believe people actually like us; our self-hate is palpable.

My study pal got angry as her parents knew the district by name but they were “Miss Chin and Mr Chin” to customers who they gave credit for decades — their surname was not Chin. To not know my name is to disrespect me. Mom and Miss Daisy spoke about life and kids. She bore the diss — were we stupid and uncaring? Canada beckoned. Years later some asked, “Wha ‘appen to de Chinie man weh did av di shop yah?” They made the district, yet no one even knew their names; racism and disrespect by people who may not know or respect self. We need a vigilant Equalities Commission and public education to turn back negative culture and conduct. Racists come in all shades; we can’t change hearts, but we can change behaviour by good laws, promptly executed. Stay conscious, my friend.

Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advisor to the minister of education. Send comments to the Observer or to franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.