Mother and girl injured in acid attack on UK capital
A mother and her children have been attacked with acid in broad daylight in the British capital London as police and security forces struggle with a historic surge in violence on the streets.
The Metropolitan Police said on Monday that the 60-year-old woman and her teenage girl had been injured in the attack which took place in Croydon around noon local time.
“Officers ... found two female victims, one aged in her 60s and another in her teens, suffering facial injuries,” said a Met spokesman, adding, “They were taken to hospital where their injuries have been assessed non life-threatening.”
Witnesses said the corrosive substance had been thrown into the face of the victims from a van passing by. Police said, however, that no arrest had been made.
Reports said a third person, maybe another child of the family, was involved in the incident.
The attack comes amid a historic surge in street violence in large cities across Britain. Nearly 300 people were killed in stabbings in the country last year with more than 120 cases recorded in the capital. Official estimates suggest some 50 people have been killed with knives or other sharp instruments this year.
Acid attacks have also increased unabated over the past years despite new measures adopted to restrict access to noxious substances.
Many blame the surge in violence on government cuts on police budget, saying years of austerity measures have rendered understaffed security forces in London and other large cities unable to respond to all emergencies.
Under immense pressure from the public and the media, the government agreed last month to earmark an extra 100 billion pounds to help police recruitment and other programs.
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