In the aftermath of a suspected acid attack outside a west London school, two teenagers are in hospital with one of the victims suffering potentially life-changing injuries.
The incident, which occurred at noon on Monday near Westminster Academy, had a corrosive substance thrown at students and a staff member.
A 14-year-old girl has been hospitalized with injuries that “may potentially be life-changing,” while a 16-year-old boy, also injured in the attack, is receiving treatment for injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Another victim, a 27-year-old woman, is already out of the hospital after being treated and discharged from the hospital after suffering non-life-changing injuries.
London police in a statement, said, “Tests of the substance are ongoing. At this stage officers believe it to be acidic.” Authorities are conducting “urgent enquiries” to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, the principal of Westminster Academy, Numera Anwar, has described the event as a “distressing incident” involving what appeared to be an “acid-like corrosive substance,” and expressed concern for the victims and the community.
The attack she said, happened outside the school building, just as students and staff were leaving for the day.
“The school was closed Tuesday to allow for a thorough investigation and to ensure the school can resume normally from tomorrow with all safety measures in place,” Anwar added.
It is worthy to say that the attack is part of a worrying trend in the UK, where the use of corrosive substances in assaults spiked in recent years before seeing a resurgence in 2022.
London, in particular, has witnessed a rise in teenage violence, including knife crime and shootings. In July, a 15-year-old boy was found fatally shot in a park near the scene of Monday’s incident.
Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug described the attack as “truly shocking” and vowed to work with police to support the affected school and community.
Two police officers who responded to the scene were also taken to the hospital as a precaution after feeling unwell, though their conditions were not serious.
Police have established multiple crime scenes as part of the investigation.
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