02 October 2024 , 20:03
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A father describes severe injuries as police search for a male suspect believed to have ridden an e-scooter to a Westminster academy.
The father of a 14-year-old girl who was the victim of a suspected acid attack outside her west London school has said his daughter is in “shock, pain, and trauma” and has been left with “severe injuries”.
Police are continuing a manhunt to find a man who threw a substance – believed to be acidic – at the girl and a 16-year-old boy outside the school in west London on Monday.
Officers are hunting a male suspect who they believe rode to and from the scene at Westminster academy in west London on an e-scooter, and covered his face as he launched his attack on Monday afternoon. Detectives have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Westminster academy said the injured boy was a member of the public and not a pupil.
The suspect was described as a “tall, slim, black male, wearing dark clothing with his face obscured, possibly by a mask or balaclava”.
On Wednesday Corey McFarlane said words could not “express the shock, pain, and trauma” his teenage daughter was going through, “both physically and emotionally”.
Writing on an online fundraising page, Corey McFarlane said his daughter was “a fighter” but said “she needs her community behind her more than ever”.
He added: “This senseless act of violence has left her with severe injuries that require urgent and long-term medical care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and mental health support.”
He appealed for anyone with information to come forward, and said: “Any support we can get from the community to spread awareness, gather information, and assist in the investigation would be deeply appreciated.”
On Monday DCI Dean Purvis, who is leading the investigation, said initial inquiries suggested that the two young victims were on Alfred Road when they were approached by a man on his own, who threw a substance at them before fleeing down Harrow Road.
He added: “A member of staff bravely and selflessly rushed to provide first aid to the two victims, sustaining injuries herself in the process.” The 27-year-old woman has since been discharged from hospital.
“The two teenage victims – a girl and a boy – remain in hospital. For the 14-year-old girl, we might not know for some time how severe her injuries are. But, at this time, they are being treated as life-changing.”
The school was closed on Tuesday, with lessons taking place online and many staff working from home while a lone police officer was guarding the entrance of the school. On Wednesday the school opened as normal with staff told to expect a police presence.
One local shopworker, who did not want to be named, said he heard sirens and a “big kerfuffle” outside in the aftermath of the incident.
“This school, they usually have everything under control – you don’t see fights outside,” he said. “I have never seen anything like this. Yesterday was just out of the blue.”
The school’s principal, Numera Anwar, said: “This was a distressing incident which took place after school hours when students and staff were leaving the school site. We are offering support to families and relatives of all involved.
“This is a difficult time for our community and I took the decision to close the school today to allow for a thorough investigation and to ensure the school can resume normally from tomorrow with all safety measures in place.”