Acid attack offences rose by 75 per cent last year, shock new figures show.
Official data from police forces revealed that hundreds more victims were attacked last year, but only a tiny fraction of cases led to criminal charges.
The research by charity, Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), identified 1,244 offences involving corrosives in 2023, compared to 710 in the previous year.
A Freedom of Information request to all police forces in the UK revealed that over a third of the crimes were physical attacks, with the remainder offences relating to threats of acid attacks, carrying of corrosives, and other serious crimes such as rape or robbery involving corrosives.
It is the second consecutive year that offences have risen, after a 69 per cent increase in 2022.
Despite the alarming rise, only eight per cent of cases lead to charges, with almost a third (32%) of cases not progressing due to lack of victim support.
The charity found that women make up half of all victims targeted.
Northumbria Police recorded the highest number of offences, followed by the Metropolitan Police.
Jaf Shah, Executive Director at ASTI, said: ‘Our new data shows that acid violence is an escalating problem in our country, with women increasingly at risk.
‘With a new Government soon in place, we are asking our leaders to take urgent action and stop these atrocious crimes which leave victims forever scarred.
‘The incoming Government should increase funding for prevention initiatives and address the drivers that facilitate acid attacks and violent crime more generally in the UK – socio-economic inequality and deprivation, and a lack of opportunity for young people.
‘Additionally, while there are laws in place that restrict access to corrosive substances, the growing number of offences shows that the Government and businesses must tighten the enforcement of these regulations and do more to stop corrosive substances being weaponised to cause devastating harm.’
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Rebecca Camber
