With acid attacks ravaging through London, the government is launching a new action plan, which could possibly include putting culprits away for longer periods in efforts to stumble the heinous crime.
The action plan announced on Sunday by London’s Home Office comes in response to London’s latest attack. Just last week Thursday, a 16-year-old attacked five individuals in the space of 90 minutes across north and east London, which left one victim with “life-changing” injuries, BBC reported.
“Acid attacks are horrific crimes which have a devastating effect on victims, both physically and emotionally,” Home Secretary Amber Rudd, said in the Sunday announcement.
Since the attack, the 15-year-old who appeared in court on Monday, has been charged with 15 offenses including multiple counts of grievous bodily harm intent, one count of GBH with intent, one count of possession of an item to discharge a noxious substance, and several other charges including multiple counts of robbery, according to BBC. A 15-year-old was also arrested in connection with the attack but has been released on bail.
Acid attacks are soaring at alarming rates in London, according to a report released by the Metropolitan Police Service in March. In 2014, there were 166 filed complaints, 261 in 2015, and 454 in 2016.
“It is vital that we do everything we can to prevent these sickening attacks happening in the first place,” Rudd said.
As part of the new action plan to crack down on attacks, the Crown Prosecution Service–the prosecuting agency for England and Wales– will have its guidance to prosecutors reviewed in order to make sure that acid and other corrosive substances can be classified as dangerous weapons , and what is required to prove intent, the Home Office announced. Along with police and London’s Ministry of Justice, the Home Office will also access whether the court’s powers to deal with culprits are sufficient to deal with acid attack offenses. In addition, authorities will review the Poisons Act 1972 to assess whether more acids and harmful substances should be covered under the act.
“We must also ensure that the police and other emergency services are able to respond as effectively as possible, that sentences reflect the seriousness of the offenses and victims are given the immediate support they need,” Rudd said.
In the last six months leading up to April, more than 400 acid or corrosive substance attacks were carried out based on returns from 39 forces in England and Wales, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. The NPCC, also stated that these returns showed that bleach, ammonia, and acid were the most commonly used substances.
“Police have dealt with a number of high-profile cases in recent months and we continue to collect data from police forces across England and Wales to understand the scale and extent of these attacks and develop our ability to support and protect victims,” Rachel Kearton, Assistant Chief Constable of NPCC said. “While it is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances, we are working closely with the Home Office and retailers to determine how we can keep these products from people who intend to cause harm.”
As attacks are becoming more prominent, Kearton advises victims to report attacks so that authorities can deal with the matter.
Other measures in the action plan include:
