Violent acid attacks reported to West Midlands Police more than double in a year

Data revealed by the police force under a freedom of information (FOI) request shows there were 55 such offences reported in 2022 – up from 23 the year before.

The data, released by charity Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), unveiled an overall rise in the number of violent acid attacks across the West Midlands.

FOI requests to local police forces in the region, which included West Mercia, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, show that there have been 109 violent acid attacks recorded in 2022, in comparison to 83 in 2021 – an increase of 31 per cent.

In the same period, violent acid attacks reported to Staffordshire Police fell from three to two, and those reported to West Mercia Police fell from 54 in 2021 to 48 last year.

There was a slight increase in Warwickshire where incidents rose from three in 2021 to four in 2022.

Acid attacks are a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto someone’s body with the intention to harm or kill.

Given its nature, the effects of an acid attack prompt instant and excruciating pain, and injuries cause life-changing disabilities.

In April, a 23-year-old man was taken to hospital after being stabbed in the head and having acid thrown at him in Birmingham.

The attack happened on Tuesday, April 11, at 11.30pm in a car park on Coleshill Road, Hodge Hill.

The man was treated by firefighters and rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

Beyond the devastating impact that acid attacks have on the victim, they also bear a considerable economic cost to society, ASTI has warned.

According to economic research commissioned by the charity and conducted by Frontier Economics, a single attack costs £63,000 – this includes the medical and psychosocial support that victims require, in addition to the costs to the police, and the judicial and penal systems.

In response to the growing number of attacks, ASTI is launching Project Irreversible, a prevention initiative which will educate young people in the West Midlands and beyond on the risks and consequences of acid violence on both victim and perpetrator.

The project will be delivered through a series of workshops with young people at risk, and with the help of a digital graphic novel created by the charity. The novel tells three stories centred around acid attacks and focuses largely on perpetrators.

Using the graphic novel, the project practitioners will explore the motivations for carrying corrosive substances, the personal and legal risks of committing an acid attack, including imprisonment, and the harmful consequences for victims.

Jaf Shah, executive director at ASTI, said: “The significant rise in the number of acid attacks in the West Midlands is concerning and the need for prevention is greater than ever. We know that the best way to end acid violence is to prevent it from happening in the first place, by addressing its root causes.

"This is where Project Irreversible steps in, by educating and engaging with young people at risk, to ensure that they understand the risks and consequences of acid attacks.

“Acid attacks are also linked to deprivation and our hope is that Project Irreversible will be part of a wider public health approach to tackling all forms of serious violence.

"The Government needs to take urgent action to address the wider societal issues which are contributing to an escalation of violence, and acid attacks in particular.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alexis Boon QPM, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for corrosive substances, said: “The use of corrosive substances to commit crime devastates lives, often inflicting serious injuries and causing psychological trauma to survivors that will last a lifetime.

"Through education, we need to make sure people understand the appalling consequences of such crimes, to those subject to such attacks, their families, and the perpetrator themselves, in order to prevent these crimes happening in the first place.

“The Irreversible graphic novel and toolkit provide thoughtful insight into the nature of these crimes, and I hope will make people think carefully about the impact and devastating harm that can be caused, ultimately deterring individuals from committing these offences in the first place.”