Three men have been arrested by police officers on suspicion of throwing acid at a three-year-old boy in Worcester, London.
The incident occurred on Saturday, when the three men are believed to have thrown a “corrosive substance” at the toddler while he was out with his parents in a pushchair.
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The toddler was quickly rushed to hospital to be treated for burns to his face and body, and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.
In addition to these arrests, a 39-year-old man from Wolverhampton was also detained and is yet to be released, as police continue to investigate the incident, looking to tie any of the suspects to the attack or discover any potential motive.
Appealing for further information from the public, Detective Inspector Tony Garner said “We’d like to thank everyone who shared our appeal over the weekend and contacted us with information; all of this is helping us to build up a better picture of this incident. We’re continuing to urge anyone else with information to contact us.”
Local politicians have been quick to the condemn the mindless attack, with Worcester City Council leader Marc Bayliss calling it “absolutely pure evil,” and Worcester MP Robin Walker describing it as “horrific” and insisting that “the shock will be universal.”
Moreover, many corrosive substances are readily available over-the-counter and can be purchased by anyone without even showing any form of ID.
Police officials, activists and politicians have urged the government to address these issues, calling for longer prison sentences against perpetrators to discourage such attacks.
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