Another name for sulphuric acid is ‘oil of vitriol’ and the act of projecting a corrosive substance such as sulphuric acid into the face or onto the body of another person with the intention to disfigure, maim, torture, disable or kill is called ‘vitriolage’. The most common types of acid used in vitriolage attacks are sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric. Vitriolage is becoming a potentially massive problem, writes Steve Collins, pictured, of training company PS5.
Increase
For years I have covered the subject of acid attacks and methods of delivery in the projectile weapons module of my ‘Advanced’ weapons awareness and recognition training. Crime statistics show at least two acid attacks in the UK, every day, but experts say the true scale of the problem could be much bigger, especially as school kids as young as 13 have started to resolve playground disputes by throwing acid. There is no doubt that the number of acid attacks are increasing rapidly, and Met Police reports show that there were over 450 acid attacks in London alone last year, with the number of attacks there more than doubling in the last three years. It is now believed criminal gang members are starting to carry acid in drinks bottles because they believe there is less chance of being caught than if they carry a knife or gun. School children have admitted that squirting rivals with acid is much easier than trying to stab them. As with many weapons-related crimes the ones that are reported are often just the tip of the iceberg and the true scale of the problem is hidden because people are afraid to come forward for fear of reprisals.
Katie Piper
One of the most high-profile victims of an acid attack in the UK is model Katie Piper, when in 2008 she had a cup full of sulphuric acid thrown into her face by one Stefan Sylvestre. The attack had been ordered by her abusive boyfriend Danny Lynch as a punishment for her trying to end their relationship. Katie Piper’s own words: “I was on the street talking to Danny on my cell phone. I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar.
I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money. Splash! He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn’t understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me – an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It spread through my body like fire. I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames. I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me. This was the ‘present’ Danny had promised me, and he was still on the phone, listening to my screams.”
Other cases
Since her ordeal, Katie Piper has led campaigns to raise awareness of the problem, founding a charity to help people living with burns and scars and releasing an autobiography, Beautiful. Another victim of the sickening weapon was Naomi Oni. She suffered horrific burns to her face, chest, legs, stomach and arms and was almost blinded in one eye by a 22-year-old called Mary Konye who had thrown -acid at Ms Oni for allegedly calling her ugly. Konye was given a 12-year sentence. Dutch national, Mark Van Dongen, died in hospital in Belgium 15 months after an acid attack by his ex-girlfriend Berlinah Wallace in 2015. Mark moved to England to study at Bristol University. He suffered around 80 per cent burns and was left paralysed from the neck down; he also lost his left leg, ear and eye. The most recent attack in the headlines, in April, was at Mangle’s, a London nightclub. Twenty people were injured in the attack, in which a corrosive liquid was sprayed at people during an argument in the club. Twelve were rushed to hospital including a 22-year-old woman who was rendered blind in one eye. A statement from the Met Police said another two of the victims, aged 24 and 29, had to be transferred to a specialist burns hospital where they remained in a serious condition.
Culture
The frightening facts are that we are seeing more and more of this barbaric and medieval culture in the UK. There are now hundreds of incidents every year and it’s growing. Corrosive or noxious materials are being used as weapons and although it’s hard to believe that people can be so cruel, heartless and depraved, the statistics speak for themselves.
