Legal Definitions - abacinate

Abacinate

To abacinate means to intentionally cause blindness in a person by holding a red-hot iron or other heated metal object directly in front of their eyes. This brutal act results in severe burns and permanent damage to the ocular tissues, leading to the complete loss of sight.

Examples:

• During a historical period of extreme cruelty, a tyrannical regime sought to make an example of a captured rebel leader. The regime's enforcers used a glowing hot branding iron, holding it deliberately close to the rebel's eyes until the damage was irreversible, thereby abacinating him as a warning to others.

• A human rights investigation documented a horrific incident during a recent conflict where a captured civilian was subjected to a deliberate act of torture. Perpetrators heated a metal plate over an open flame until it glowed and then pressed it near the victim's face, causing immediate and permanent blindness. This act of intentional blinding by extreme heat is a clear instance of abacinating the victim.