How Sisters Are Helping a 13-Year-Old Acid Attack Survivor Reclaim Her Future
At just 13 years old, Sajitha* from Wayanad, Kerala, faced a fight for survival after a brutal acid attack changed her life in an instant.
She recalls, “When I was in the hospital, I didn’t think I would survive. The pain was unbearable. But I knew I could not spend my life sitting at home and dwelling on what had happened. I wanted to move forward with courage, hope, and with a future to believe in.”
Sajitha grew up in Rajiv Nagar in Sultan Bathery Taluk, where she excelled in school and participated in the Student Police Cadet program. Her family, members of the Kuravan community, lived below the poverty line. Her father was unable to work because of a disabling illness, leaving her mother and older brother to support the household through daily wage labor while another son continued his studies.
The family lived in a partially completed home and struggled to meet even basic needs. Despite these hardships, Sajitha’s education represented the family’s greatest hope for a brighter future.
That hope was nearly shattered on Jan. 16, 2026.
As Sajitha washed her school uniform outside her home, 53-year-old Raju Jose approached and harassed her. She firmly told him to leave and warned she would inform her family. Enraged, he retrieved a container of acid from his nearby rented house and poured it over her. Sajitha fought back, knocking the container from his hands, but he forced her to the ground and emptied the remaining acid over her body.
She suffered burns over 31% of her body, including her face, head, right ear, hand, back, thighs, and knees. Somehow, she ran to a neighbor’s house, where water was poured over her burns before she was rushed for emergency medical care.
She spent weeks in the Burns Intensive Care Unit at Kozhikode Medical College undergoing surgeries and treatment before returning home on Feb. 7, 2026, with lasting physical and emotional scars. Recovery would require months of treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical care.
For weeks, the family’s ordeal remained largely unnoticed outside their community. Then a newspaper report caught the attention of a staff member at the SCN-run Pratiksha Centre in Kakkavayal, who shared it with Joicy Joy, SCN, an advocate and director of the center.
Unable to ignore the family’s suffering, Sister Joicy and the Sisters of Nazareth Convent traveled to Wayanad to meet them. Years of poverty, exclusion, and disappointment had made the family hesitant to trust outsiders, but the Sisters returned repeatedly, listening to their concerns and offering practical support rather than empty promises.
As trust grew, they provided ₹10,000 in emergency assistance to help meet the family’s immediate needs while also assessing how they could accompany the family over the long term.
Recognizing that financial assistance alone would not be enough, Sister Joicy quickly pursued legal remedies. On Feb. 11, 2026, she filed a petition with the District Legal Services Authority to secure the benefits available to Sajitha as a victim of violent crime. Her legal experience enabled the family to navigate systems they could not have managed on their own.
The family’s challenges continued when a local merchant allegedly attempted to seize their goods auto-rickshaw, their primary source of income, using a fraudulent debt claim. Sister Joicy intervened, representing the family in court and protecting them from further exploitation. Her advocacy ensured they could focus on Sajitha’s recovery rather than losing the little stability they had left.
On March 26, 2026, the District Legal Services Authority approved Sajitha’s interim compensation claim, depositing ₹100,000 into the family’s account. Total assistance later reached ₹300,000, helping cover medical care and easing the family’s financial burden. The compensation also affirmed that the family had not been forgotten and that justice was beginning to take shape.
For Sajitha’s parents, the support meant far more than financial relief.
“When we had no one, the SCN Sisters came, stood beside us, and gave us hope,” her mother said. “Because of their encouragement, my daughter is now able to look forward to a better future.”
Today, Sajitha continues to recover and faces additional reconstructive surgeries and treatment for injuries to her right eye and ear. Yet her focus remains firmly on the future. She wants to return to school, continue her education, and build a life defined not by violence, but by the opportunities ahead. Her determination reflects a quiet courage that has inspired everyone who has walked beside her during her recovery.
Through the ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, one family’s search for justice became a story of compassion in action. Sister Joicy and the Pratiksha team continue to serve people in the remote communities of Wayanad through legal advocacy, humanitarian assistance, and accompaniment, standing beside those whose dignity is threatened and ensuring they are not left to face hardship alone.
Their ministry reflects the SCN commitment to uphold the dignity of every person and to bring Christ’s compassionate presence to those living on the margins.
*Name changed to protect the survivor’s identity.