Topic: Rise of Acid Attacks

[DivisiveNewSigning]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40604002

Really disgusting this seems to be the new in-thing now. The absolute disregard for the people's lives they are affecting is simply unbelievable.

How do we tackle it?

A teenager has been arrested after corrosive substances were thrown in people's faces in five attacks across north-east London.
Two men on a moped carried out the attacks over 90 minutes in Hackney, Stoke Newington and Islington on Thursday night.
One of the victims suffered "life-changing injuries".
The assaults happened amid increasing concern about the sharp rise in acid attacks in London.
Since 2010 there have been more than 1,800 reports of attacks involving corrosive fluids in the capital. Last year, it was used in 458 crimes, compared to 261 in 2015, according to Met Police figures.
Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said the growing trend of victims being doused with corrosive liquids was concerning.
Ms Dick told LBC Thursday night's attacks were "completely barbaric".
"The acid can cause horrendous injuries," she said.
"The ones last night involved a series of robberies we believe are linked - I am glad to see we have arrested somebody.
"I don't want people to think this is happening all over London all the time, it is really not, but we are concerned because the numbers appear to be going up.
"We will arrest people, we will enforce the law as we can, and we are working very closely with the Home Office to try to see if there is any changes in the law required."
Police said the latest attacks were linked and were questioning the teenager at an east London police station on suspicion of robbery and causing grievous bodily harm.
Emergency services and dozens of Uber eats and Deliveroo drivers come to the aid of an acid attack victim on Queensbridge Road in Hackney.

[Alf]

I'd charge them with attempted murder, they're ruining people's lives.

[Daniel Cabbaggio]

Its only a special type of scumbag who do a thing like that. If caught they should have the book thrown at them, maybe change sentencing laws to reflect the crime. its so below the belt its unbelievable.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

I'd charge them with attempted murder, they're ruining people's lives.

aye, would go as far as making it a mandatory life sentence.

Also where the hell do they get this stuff from?

[CheshireDave]

aye, would go as far as making it a mandatory life sentence.

Also where the hell do they get this stuff from?

I was walking through town with a friend who got in a bit of trouble and ended up having to do a 100 or so hours community service and he nodded and acknowledged some guy. I asked who was that and he said it was just some guy who he was on the community service with. Anyway I just casually asked what had he done. He said he had thrown acid in an ex girlfriend's face. I was completely shocked that someone who'd been convicted of that would get away with a couple of hundred hours community service!

In terms of where they get it through. You can buy hydrochloric acid from loads of places. B&Q for example. A lot of acids are used in the building trade.

[tubby]

A friend of mine lost an eye to shit like this, absolutely awful thing to do.

[Trada]

They are saying there were over 400 acid attacks in the UK last year.

And will be higher this year.

Its been really under reported.

They call it acid attacks but I guess this will include things like Bleach etc.

Really it should be classed as attempted murder.

[B0151?]

Why should it be classed as attempted murder?

Not against super harsh sentencing for it but it's not attempted murder if they're not trying to murder them. It's its own thing.

[Trada]

Why should it be classed as attempted murder?

Not against super harsh sentencing for it but it's not attempted murder if they're not trying to murder them. It's its own thing.

Because it should be when you will change someones life for ever.

They are saying youngsters are starting to carry acid instead of a knife.

[Millie]

It's still not attempted murder though.  It's GBH or GBH with Intent.

[BobOnATank]

From a quick search:

For the lowest level of 'Section 18' offences, the starting point is 4 years imprisonment , with a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 5 year.

Where the victim suffered a very serious injury or permanent disfigurement OR there was pre-meditated wounding or GBH OR other wounding or GBH involving the use of a weapon that came to hand at the scene:
SP = 5 years
Min = 4 year
Max = 6 years
(It should be noted that kicking someone, while wearing shoes or boots, may be regarded as 'using a weapon which came to hand at the scene').

If the victim suffered life-threatening injury or particularly grave injury:
SP = 8 years
Min = 7 years
Max= 10 years.

However shouldn't the above case be armed robbery?

Seems like the legislation is there, judges just need to apply it.

[B0151?]

Because it should be when you will change someones life for ever.

They are saying youngsters are starting to carry acid instead of a knife.

Attempted murder is specifically trying to end someone's life though. It must be absolutely devastating to anyone it happens to but I don't think they would like to think of their lives being over.

GBH with intent is punishable with up to life imprisonment for what it's worth.

[classycarra]

Are there statistics on the perpetrators of these attacks (granted, it sounds like they're under reported, so it might not be representative).

I would assume the vast majority of attackers are men. Nothing more dangerous than a man with an inferiority complex

[Trada]

To tell you the truth when I heard about acid attack I always thought it was linked to honor attacks.

But I was totally wrong.

[DivisiveNewSigning]

It has to be treated differently to GBH for me.

The appalling thing with acid attacks are that not only are the perpetrators trying to harm the victim but horribly disfigure them too. There's an added layer of evil there, the way I see it.

Do stores such as B&Q do ID checks on corrosive substances at the minute? If not then surely it's only a matter of time.

[Trada]

It has to be treated differently to GBH for me.

The appalling thing with acid attacks are that not only are the perpetrators trying to harm the victim but horribly disfigure them too. There's an added layer of evil there, the way I see it.

Do stores such as B&Q do ID checks on corrosive substances at the minute? If not then surely it's only a matter of time.

They were talking to a lady on Sky News earlier, and she was saying what they have done now in other counties where this happened a lot they have lowered the strength of the acid you can buy over the counter.

And if the job you need to do, needs something stronger you have to call a tradesman in who is licensed to use stronger acids.

[RJ320]

Problem is that you can get this stuff so easily from B&Q or any other DIY shop. I've seen what acid does to raw materials, imagine what it does to human skin. Completely burns through it and if it touches a vein, you'll be pushing up daisies. There needs to be a law on it and immediately put into action. Scared of putting my window down at traffic lights now. I carry a few bottles of water in my car just in case someone tries it and I don't have access to any help or a nearby medical centre.

[The Bournemouth Red]

It's the seemingly random nature that worries me.

Also, I agree it may not be attempted murder, but that only makes it worse because the perpetrator knows they can horribly disfigure someone and ruin their life without the risk of a murder charge.

[classycarra]

Problem is that you can get this stuff so easily from B&Q or any other DIY shop. I've seen what acid does to raw materials, imagine what it does to human skin. Completely burns through it and if it touches a vein, you'll be pushing up daisies. There needs to be a law on it and immediately put into action. Scared of putting my window down at traffic lights now. I carry a few bottles of water in my car just in case someone tries it and I don't have access to any help or a nearby medical centre.

Wow, really? Where do you live? Have you been threatened by one of these attacks before?

[RJ320]

Wow, really? Where do you live? Have you been threatened by one of these attacks before?

No thankfully. but there's been two in my area in the last week. Nothing major, just attempted (and failed) robberies.

[classycarra]

No thankfully. but there's been two in my area in the last week. Nothing major, just attempted (and failed) robberies.

Blimey!

[Trada]

Maybe Diane Abbott is right and Acid attacks should be considered a type terrorist crime.

[Xabi Gerrard]

Really it should be classed as attempted murder.

Maybe Diane Abbott is right and Acid attacks should be considered a type terrorist crime.

Mate, you really seem to be struggling to grasp how crime classification works. If something is really bad but not an attempt to kill someone (like an acid attack), then it's not attempted murder. Terrorist attacks are attacks with a political, religious or ideological aim, which these don't appear to be.

[classycarra]

She rarely is, and certainly isn't on this one either.

[TravisBickle]

Maybe Diane Abbott is right and Acid attacks should be considered a type terrorist crime.

 ... Why should it be classed as terrorism? Genuinely, why?

[Trada]

Mate, you really seem to be struggling to grasp how crime classification works. If something is really bad but not an attempt to kill someone (like an acid attack), then it's not attempted murder. Terrorist attacks are attacks with a political, religious or ideological aim, which these don't appear to be.

Then the government can make it a Terrorist attack and change the law on it.

[Trada]

... Why should it be classed as terrorism? Genuinely, why?

It matches most the things need just to change the law a bit.

What is Terrorism?

 Terrorism is the use or threat of action, both in and outside of the UK, designed to influence any international government organisation or to intimidate the public.  It must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. Examples include:

    serious violence against a person or damage to property,
    endangering a person's life (other than that of the person committing the action),
    creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public,
    action designed to seriously interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.

It is important to note that in order to be convicted of a terrorism offence a person doesn't actually have to commit what could be considered a terrorist attack. Planning, assisting and even collecting information on how to commit terrorist acts are all crimes under British terrorism legislation.

[killer-heels]

They were talking to a lady on Sky News earlier, and she was saying what they have done now in other counties where this happened a lot they have lowered the strength of the acid you can buy over the counter.

And if the job you need to do, needs something stronger you have to call a tradesman in who is licensed to use stronger acids.

Seems a very sensible approach. Not sure how realistic that is but should definitely be looked into.

[Xabi Gerrard]

Then the government can make it a Terrorist attack and change the law on it.

Well they'll have to redefine terrorism because it's not a terrorism. It doesn't fit the criteria that you yourself have just quoted here:

It must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

They were talking to a lady on Sky News earlier, and she was saying what they have done now in other counties where this happened a lot they have lowered the strength of the acid you can buy over the counter.

And if the job you need to do, needs something stronger you have to call a tradesman in who is licensed to use stronger acids.

I don't think somebody should be forced to get a trademan in to clean their BBQ just because some arseholes are using it to attack people.What next should we get a butcher in to carve our roasts ?

You can also buy it on ebay,it is very,very cheap.

[Millie]

....and do they still have it school labs?

As for making it a terrorism offence - well like the use of knives - if the acid was used to attack several people in the name of a political/religious ideology then that could be charged as an Act of Terror.  There is no need to change any criminal laws here.

[Purple Red]

It only really dawned on me this morning after reading the news that 'Acid Attacks' are actually a thing. I've read news stories about people throwing acid over each other before of course but the fact that it's now so prevalent that it's got its own label is absolutely appalling. There is such a degree of premeditation in these attacks to. The perpetrator not only has to source the acid from a hardware store or whereever but then has to decide where he is going to attack people for recreation's sake. From what I could gather from last night's story the scumbag carrying out the attack was just doing it for the hell of it. The legislation regarding GBH needs to be closely scrutinised once more to ensure that the offenders in these cases are not getting off with light sentences. They are potentially ruining lives forever and need to be punished appropriately.

[TravisBickle]

It matches most the things need just to change the law a bit.

What is Terrorism?

 Terrorism is the use or threat of action, both in and outside of the UK, designed to influence any international government organisation or to intimidate the public.  It must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. Examples include:

    serious violence against a person or damage to property,
    endangering a person's life (other than that of the person committing the action),
    creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public,
    action designed to seriously interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.

It is important to note that in order to be convicted of a terrorism offence a person doesn't actually have to commit what could be considered a terrorist attack. Planning, assisting and even collecting information on how to commit terrorist acts are all crimes under British terrorism legislation.

 The vast majority of acid attacks have literally nothing to do with what you've just outlined there.

[DivisiveNewSigning]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40621915

Sounds like a pleasant young man.

Fucking little c*nt. Annoys me that coz he's 16 he won't get nearly half of what he deserves.

[nick_8589]

It has to be treated differently to GBH for me.

The appalling thing with acid attacks are that not only are the perpetrators trying to harm the victim but horribly disfigure them too. There's an added layer of evil there, the way I see it.

Do stores such as B&Q do ID checks on corrosive substances at the minute? If not then surely it's only a matter of time.

GBH with intent, which is what these would be, carry a maximum term of life so I don't really understand what more could be done.

[AndyMuller]

Little shitbags wanting to ruin peoples lives.

Sent from my SM-J320FN using Tapatalk

[rob1966]

GBH with intent, which is what these would be, carry a maximum term of life so I don't really understand what more could be done.

I'd sentence them to having acid thrown on them then life without parole.

[Kwaideng]

I'd sentence them to having acid thrown on them then life without parole.

Wow...Captain Bringdown man, sounds like you may have had a bad trip.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

I'd sentence them to having acid thrown on them then life without parole.

And rapists should be raped,are you going to nominate yourself to carry out the sentence ?

An eye for an eye & the whole world will be able to see in the dark.

[Billy Elliot]

The vast majority of acid attacks have literally nothing to do with what you've just outlined there.

Vast majority is questionable

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/east-london-acid-attack-terrorism-islamophobia-a7817466.html