Editorial Comment

Acid attacks are on the rise. In 2012, there were 183 in Britain; in 2016, 504. Last week, five acid attacks occurred in little over an hour. The consequences are horrific; lives are destroyed. Clearly, policing methods require updating and a concerted effort is needed to stop a grisly trend becoming a feature of modern life.

The Victorians grew so accustomed to attacks using “oil of vitriol” (sulphuric acid) that they dubbed it “vitriolage”. Acid later became associated with violence against women in the developing world. Now it appears to be emerging as a weapon of choice for British gangs. Knives are becoming harder to come by, whereas sulphuric acid and ammonia can be bought cheaply in shops – and there is no age limit to restrict purchase. The liquid is easy to conceal and there is no criminal charge if someone is caught carrying it.

The solution might lie in a review of the existing legislation, but also in reforming the techniques and attitude of British law enforcement. One approach might be to equip police with pH paper to test suspicious substances. Another is the use of greater common sense in the distribution of tight resources. One in four acid attacks in the past five years took place in Newham, London – and if one community requires particular focus, so be it.

It cannot help that so much police time is wasted on the reporting of hate crimes or witchhunts into alleged historic abuse, while the police are hamstrung by a new culture of political correctness. When crime fell in the past it was because governments intelligently targeted perpetrators and threw them in prison. Sadly, it now feels as though Britain is going backwards, reviving crimes that belong to darker times.