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'Pure Evil': Three Men Arrested in UK Over Acid Attack On 3-Year-Old Boy

The UK, London in particular, has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of acid attacks taking place, and the government has so far failed to tackle this worrying trend.
Sputnik

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.

READ MORE: Rising Acid Attacks Put Parts of London Off Limits As Attacker Jailed

The toddler was quickly rushed to hospital to be treated for burns to his face and body, and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.

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West Mercia Police announced the incident, appealing for eyewitnesses with potentially useful information to come forward, and said that three men, aged 22, 25, and 26, had been arrested and detained.

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.”

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Acids and other corrosive substances have emerged as favored weapons by gangs to instill fear in rival groups and the communities they operate in, as the prison sentences handed out for such attacks are typically shorter than for stabbings.

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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