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German acid attack victim awarded €250,000

Louisa Wright with dpa
October 2, 2018

Vanessa Münstermann was walking her dog when her ex-partner attacked her with acid in 2016, causing her to lose an eye and ear. The perpetrator is serving a 12-year jail term for severe bodily harm.

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Acid attack victim Vanessa Münstermann
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Hollemann

The Hanover Regional Court on Tuesday ruled that the ex-partner of an acid attack victim must pay €250,000 ($288,000) in damages for causing pain and suffering.

Beautician Vanessa Münstermann, now 29, had been walking her dog in February 2016 when her ex-partner emerged from behind a bush and poured acid on her. The attack caused her to lose an eye and an ear and she still requires further medical operations.

Her former partner is already serving a 12-year jail sentence for causing severe bodily injury.

Read more: Why acid attacks are on the rise in India

At the beginning of the trial, the judge had said that while the amount of €250,000 was high, it was "an extreme crime with extreme consequences."

In August the attacker's lawyer told the court that the ex-boyfriend had no money to pay such a sum and rejected the claim outright.

The perpetrator's parents allegedly gave Münstermann €50,000 several months after the attack, according to German news agency dpa, and had promised her another €100,000 on the condition that she not talk publicly about their son.

"I cannot accept hush money," Münstermann said at the time.

Münstermann has been an outspoken advocate for acid victims, and in 2017 founded an association called "Ausgezeichnet," which translates as scarred or marked, for victims of such crimes.

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