By Ashley Young-
The Home Office is looking at tough new restrictions on corrosive substances, following a spate of acid attacks in London.
The new consideration follows calls from MP’s for tougher sentences in relation to possession of harmful acids.
This fresh position from the Home office has been long overdue, and requires speedy action to address what is becoming a growing problem in London and many parts of the UK. Last night, a 16-year-old boy was arrested as police launched a major investigation into a spate of attacks that took place within a couple of hours of one another across east London. One victim suffered life-changing injuries.
Last week, a 27-year-old man suffered severe burns after being attacked with acid in Mile End, east London. The previous month, two Muslim men were attacked sitting in their car at traffic lights in east London, which police said they were treating as a hate crime.
East Ham Labour MP, Stephen Timms, said carrying acid should be made an offence and suggested licensing the purchase of sulphuric acid, likening it to carrying a knife. Timms position is actually soft because acid is potentially more lethal than a knife despite the potential of death that can result from stabbing. The permanent disfigure that results from acid is worse than the scars of a knife attack for a surviving victim of knife crime.
The issue raised by Timms comes late, considering the fact that acid attacks have been occurring for a long time now.
However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has said it is virtually impossible to ban the sale of all corrosive substances because many are household products, such as bleach and drain cleaner, available over the counter. This position is wrong because nothing is impossible.
All that is required is better ideas about how to restrict the sale of these products over the counter.Even if it means new laws that require newsagents staff to be hired to physically use those substances in people’s home, such extreme measures should be considered. There must be better ideas for addressing this issue, but the restrictions are definitely necessary.
Other acid attacks have occurred in London, Birmingham and Manchester in the last year, leaving their victims in an irreversible state of despair. In many cases the chances of victims developing a normal romantic relationship is substantially weakened, with a number actually suffering an eventual collapse of their existing relationship.
It is time for considerably harsher sentences for acid attacks to be put in place by the government without delay.