There has been a “devastating” rise in the number of acid attacks in Yorkshire, it has been revealed.
Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted by Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), to local police, exposed that there was a 20 percent rise in acid attacks across the region in 2022, compared to 2021. There were 48 violent acid attacks recorded in 2022, in comparison to 40 in 2021.
West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, and North Yorkshire Police across Yorkshire recorded a rise in violent acid offences, reflecting the national trend. Across the UK, the number of attacks has increased by 69 percent, from 421 in 2021, to 710 violent acid attacks recorded last year.
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Acid attacks are a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a 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.
Beyond the devastating impact that acid attacks have on the victim, they also bare a considerable economic cost to society. According to economic research commissioned by ASTI 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.
This means that in 2022, the economic cost of all attacks was over £44Million. Over the six years that ASTI has recorded data, the total cost rises to almost a quarter of a billion pounds.
In response to the growing number of attacks, ASTI is launching Project Irreversible – a prevention initiative which will educate young people in Yorkshire 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 ASTI. The novel tells three stories centred around acid attacks and focuses largely on perpetrators.
Jaf Shah, Executive Director at ASTI, said: “The significant rise in the number of acid attacks in Yorkshire 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.”
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