Acid attack at Westminster Academy (state high school)

[scenario8]

Well this is a pretty stty incident.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd51x9yr89o

Let’s hope the perpetrator(s) feel the long arm of the law.

Thoughts to the girl and all the others involved, of course.

[JagLover]

Utter scum

Let's hope the perpetrator is caught and does serious prison time.

[s1962a]

JagLover said:

Utter scum

Let's hope the perpetrator is caught and does serious prison time.

Yes, utter scum. Ruining someones life forever - hope they are caught.

There was a case a few years ago where an acid attacker only got 8 years in prison for "GBH", but upon review this was increased to 14 years as it was deemed to be too lenient. Personally I think if an attack involves a corrosive substance it should be mandatory 20 years or life imprisonment.

[andyA700]

s1962a said:

JagLover said:

Utter scum

Let's hope the perpetrator is caught and does serious prison time.

Yes, utter scum. Ruining someones life forever - hope they are caught.

There was a case a few years ago where an acid attacker only got 8 years in prison for "GBH", but upon review this was increased to 14 years as it was deemed to be too lenient. Personally I think if an attack involves a corrosive substance it should be mandatory 20 years or life imprisonment.

I totally agree, they are crimes which potentially wreck someone's life.

[Petrus1983]

An attack on a school girl which will forever change her life should be an automatic life sentence - just like she's been given.

I hope she and her family are receiving all the support they need.

[The Ferret]

Petrus1983 said:

An attack on a school girl which will forever change her life should be an automatic life sentence - just like she's been given.

I hope she and her family are receiving all the support they need.

100%

Why our system is so soft on this is beyond me.

It's not like a punch up where things can go wrong in the heat of the moment. This is pre meditated, the perpetrator had to obtain the substance and then set out to ruin this girls life. They had time to think it through, so for me there's no justification for that person to ever see the light of day again.

[vixen1700]

Petrus1983 said:

An attack on a school girl which will forever change her life should be an automatic life sentence - just like she's been given.

I hope she and her family are receiving all the support they need.

Totally agree.

[oyster]

Horrific.
These types of attack are hate crimes too - they are often targetted at women because it's about disfiguring and taking away some of their life liberty.

I literally hate the people that do this.



PS OP, why the reference to state school in the thread title?

[munroman]

It should be an eye for an eye punishment.

I wonder if the suspect has been identified?

[J4CKO]

oyster said:

Horrific.

PS OP, why the reference to state school in the thread title?

Suppose its some detail, Academy can mean more than one thing ? there is a music venue in Manchester for example called the Academy.

[oddman]

oyster said:

PS OP, why the reference to state school in the thread title?

Presumably to distinguish from £36,873 a year Westminster School which has probably never had an acid attack in its 1000+ year history.

[ChevronB19]

munroman said:

It should be an eye for an eye punishment.

<snip>

No, it really shouldn’t. I know it might be tempting, but we haven’t gone through many centuries of developing a legal system just to revert back to the dark ages.

It’s an awful incident and I hope she recovers as well as possible, and the offenders are found and prosecuted within the limits of the law.

[MrBogSmith]

The Ferret said:

Why our system is so soft on this is beyond me.

Prisons are nearly always full all the time.

Harsher sentences require more prisons.

[markbigears]

Looking for a “tall black man on a E-scooter”. That narrows it down to a few thousand

Edited by markbigears on Tuesday 1st October 14:57

[s1962a]

markbigears said:

Looking for a “tall black man on a E-scooter”. That narrows it down to a few thousand

Edited by markbigears on Tuesday 1st October 14:57

BBC said:

No arrests have been made, but police say the suspect rode an e-scooter and is described as a tall, slim, black male, wearing dark clothing with his face obscured, possibly by a mask or balaclava.

Low chance of catching him unless someone grasses him up or he was known to the victim.

[crankedup5]

s1962a said:

markbigears said:

Looking for a “tall black man on a E-scooter”. That narrows it down to a few thousand

Edited by markbigears on Tuesday 1st October 14:57

BBC said:

No arrests have been made, but police say the suspect rode an e-scooter and is described as a tall, slim, black male, wearing dark clothing with his face obscured, possibly by a mask or balaclava.

Low chance of catching him unless someone grasses him up or he was known to the victim.

CCTV investigative bodies friend.

[s1962a]

crankedup5 said:

CCTV investigative bodies friend.

eh?

[redrabbit29]

andyA700 said:

s1962a said:

JagLover said:

Utter scum

Let's hope the perpetrator is caught and does serious prison time.

Yes, utter scum. Ruining someones life forever - hope they are caught.

There was a case a few years ago where an acid attacker only got 8 years in prison for "GBH", but upon review this was increased to 14 years as it was deemed to be too lenient. Personally I think if an attack involves a corrosive substance it should be mandatory 20 years or life imprisonment.

I totally agree, they are crimes which potentially wreck someone's life.

I'm usually against suggestions like "minimum XYZ" as a blanket rule, but I have to completely agree. It's a horrendous, horrible crime in which the victim has absolutely no chance of recovering from.

In many cases, multiple surgeries, a complete change of appearance, lost identity, lost confidence, pain, discomfort, inability to use mouth, nose, eyes, face properly. Lips and nerves damaged.

Even typing this feels me with dread.

I'm with you, at least 20 years with no parole, at least where the face is targeted

[crankedup5]

s1962a said:

crankedup5 said:

CCTV investigative bodies friend.

eh?

CCTV + dash cam footage will be viewed in an effort to track & trace the offender.

[redrabbit29]

s1962a said:

Low chance of catching him unless someone grasses him up or he was known to the victim.

They'll get him

The standard route to this would be:

• Victim knows them
• Victim recently had issues, e.g. had a break up, online threat, etc
• Victim has text messages or Snapchat (or TikTok?!) of back-and-forth exchanges with them

That leads to arrest

• Police then do cellsite on phones to place them in the area, or at least away from their house
• No alibi
• CCTV shows them in the area or out and about
• Their scooter is seized and matches that on CCTV, by stickers, appearance etc
• Clothing is found at home, with similar branding, appearnce etc
• NO comment interview
• Previous incidents or crimes
• School behavioural reports, or child services - particularly for children

• Container found with their finger prints - probably in a bin or bush (they'll be a huge search around the streets
• Text messages between the two (or more) suspects about the incident
• Phone calls before or after (often when panicking)
• CCTV from shops if the acid was bought rather than from home

...

And of course, being grassed up. In my former job (can you guess what....), it happened all the time with serious crimes. Suspects and criminals still have a moral code. They may not go on record, but they'll very easily cough up the name to someone if they feel that what "Bill and Bob" done was just too far .... which it clearly is