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| Britain | |
| UK acid attack survivors demand government action | |
| 2017-07-16 | |
| [Al Jazeera] Survivors of acid attacks in the UK have raised a call for tougher laws against perpetrators and demanded stricter measures for the purchasing of corrosive substances after a spate of assaults in recent weeks. Sulphuric acid in drain cleaners, bleaches and corrosive alkalis in battery fluid can be easily bought in shops across the UK at a low price. Resham Khan, who was recently attacked in east London, launched a petition as she recovers from serious burns from her hospital bed. Hundreds of thousands of Britons supported the campaign on Friday, the same day two teenage boys earlier threw acid at five people in east London - leaving one victim with life-changing injuries. "An attack like this could happen to anyone," said Khan's change.org petition, which is titled to "prohibit the purchase of acid to those without a licence". "It is about time that the law changes for the purchase of corrosive substances - right now you can buy it easily from any hardware store if you are 18 and over. "Corrosive acids like sulphuric acid are very lethal and life damaging substances. You should only be allowed to purchase corrosive substances with a licence to buy. The person purchasing should go through checks so their details are held on a database or hold a licence." By early Saturday, almost 400,000 people had signed the 21-year-old's bid. As Khan celebrated her birthday on June 21 with her cousin Jameel Mukhtar, chief suspect John Tomlin threw a substance through their car window. Tomlin, who is white, then expeditiously departed at a goodly pace after attacking the pair, who are of South Asian descent, but eventually turned himself in. Police described the attack as a hate crime. Mukhtar has said he believes they were targeted because of their Islamic faith. "Although I will send this letter directly to numerous members of parliament and retailers of corrosive substances, I also extend this letter to the public," said Khan. "My plans are in pieces; my pain is unbearable, and I write this letter in hospital whilst I patiently wait for the return of my face ... Why did this attack happen? What led to the event? But more importantly: Why is acid, or corrosive substances, so easy to obtain and be used as a weapon?"
[DailyMail]
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 at least one recent attack was by a white |
| Posted by: Frank G 2017-07-16 17:29 |
| #2 The English have an acid-throwing tradition of their own, going back to the Victorian era; according to things I've read -- whose accuracy is unknown -- it was mostly the tool of the jealous among the lower classes, aimed at romantic rivals and uninterested objects of affection. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2017-07-16 16:58 |
| #1 Re: "Boy, 16, is charged with fifteen offences after 90-minute moped acid attack spree injures five people in east London," assuming mooselem, a sharia-style punishment is probably in order. |
| Posted by: Anomalous Sources 2017-07-16 15:36 |