Acid attacks across Britain are on the rise, and it is estimated that around 15 such attacks are happening on a weekly basis.
Some of the horrific attacks are being conducted by children as young as six. Additionally, young children are often the victims.
There were 2,602 acid attacks carried out between January 2015 and May 2018, The Sun reported.
The number of acid attacks carried out between 2007 and 2011 was just 100, in comparison.
Three-quarters of all reported acid attacks took place in the capital of London.
Britain Suffers 15 Acid Attacks a Week, With Three Quarters Taking Place in London https://t.co/mhvNa5hPP6 pic.twitter.com/lLR8tNc03p
— Phyllis Schlafly Eagles (@PhyllisSchlafly) August 15, 2018
The number of cases more than doubled from less than 200 in 2014, to 431 in 2016.
The number of acid attacks in the West Midlands and Essex has also increased from 340 in 2014, to 843.
Two 11-year-olds were charged with attacks on older teens in Hertfordshire. In Manchester, two teens aged 14 and 15 were attacked on the train network. In another incident, a six-year-old boy was doused in bleach.
Most of the victims in the UK are male. It stands in stark contrast to acid attacks around the globe, of which 80 percent of victims are female.
According to the charity group, Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), the UK has one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world.
The group said the increase of acid attacks comes from lax acid sales. A bottle of acid can be purchased for just one pound sterling ($1.27) while a liter is available for seven pounds ($8.90).
Also, there are no penalties for those who are caught possessing these chemicals, whereas it is against the law to carry knives or guns.
Gwenton Sloley, 34, a community outreach worker and former gang member from Dalston, East London, said that kids are using acid as playground weapons.
Sloley is pleading with schools to educate children on the consequences and dangers of such attacks, with corrosive substances still readily available in high street shops.
Gwenton said: “It will play on their consciences later.”
