Acid attacks

Don’t know if it’s a product of media coverage but these seem to be happening more and more often - last night there were five in a single evening around Hackney. I’m not usually freaked out by crime stories, but something about the idea of this really gets to me. Do you think legislation will change to make it harder to get hold of?

It’s caustic soda that’s mainly being used right? I’ve always thought it’s pretty nuts that you can just stroll into a shop and buy something as dangerous as that without any precautions in place.

Any regulation of corrosive substances would need to be pretty widespread. Almost any household cleaning product can do permanent damage if it gets in your eyes. Things like oven cleaner and drain unblocker (usually containing caustic soda or sulfuric acid) will do damage on skin contact, which I assume it’s what’s used in these attacks.

I’m not saying that’s a reason to not introduce further regulation if that’s what’s needed, just making the point that there are loads and loads of things you can get your hands on easily enough that would be usable in this way.

Aren’t the “pre-made” versions diluted to a way greater extent though? Not to say they can’t do damage as obviously they can but not at the same speed or to the same degree that self-diluted caustic soda does

Depends on the product. Some of the more potent ones are approaching the limit of how concentrated a solution you can physically/chemically get.

Which, I suppose, begs the question of why you can freely get solid caustic soda anyway.

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16 year old arrested

Yeah, seems to me that solid caustic soda should not be able to be purchased over the shelf and that the other products, drain unblockers and the like could easily have their levels of corrosion regulated somehow.

This is one of those things I find terrifying. Some asshole aggrieved over being dumped can just buy some acid and throw it in someone’s face. Wtf world.

Last nights attacks were street robberies by the look of things so completely random

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Christ. Just take the wallet, why acid someone?

Horrible. I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about this stuff.

Just…why?

Yeah, they were targeting delivery drivers. Imagine being some poor sod working for Deliveroo, shit pay, in the rain, no benefits, and someone gives you life-altering injuries and steals your source of income.

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This is the sort of thing that makes me want to go and live in a log cabin. I know that’s not helpful and doesn’t address the issue, but I don’t know how to. Just despair.

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This must be pretty difficult to legislate against I’d imagine with bleaches (alkaline) etc so freely available.

I read this morning on my Twitter feed someone talking about delivery drivers being targetted for their mopeds.

This kind of thing is utterly terrifying, especially when particular people are being specifically terrifying. Thinking about the people who perpetrate this kind of crime are enough to turn me full-on Tory.

Yeah, it’s difficult not to go a bit Daily Mail when it comes to stuff like this isn’t it.

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Has that helped though (you’ll know better)?

One of the most fucking cowardly things to do to someone. Would happily clap between bricks the testicles of anyone who did it.

the majority of this happened right next to my office - same area as the attack in the club a couple of months ago. i’d say it way worse than something like a knife as this can be carried out in a scarily casual (for want of a better word) manner - you don’t have to go up to someone and deliberately stab them, you can just drive around chucking shit from a moped with no warning and speed off. it’s horrific and i feel sick just thinking about the victims (just an edit to say this is a poor choice of words but i mean it in a sympathetic way)

What was Deliveroo’s response? Can’t find anything in any articles.