The father of a schoolgirl seriously injured in a suspected acid attack says “words cannot express the shock, pain, and trauma she is going through”.
The 14-year-old girl, a boy aged 16 and a 27-year-old woman were hurt in the incident outside Westminster Academy in London on Monday afternoon.
Police are hunting a suspect who rode an e-scooter and is described as a tall, slim, black male, wearing dark clothing with his face obscured, possibly by a mask or balaclava.
The injured girl’s father Corey McFarlane has launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money to cover the costs of care and long-term support for his “beautiful daughter”.
“My beautiful daughter was the victim of a devastating acid attack outside the Westminster Academy school,” he said.
“Words cannot express the shock, pain, and trauma she is going through right now, both physically and emotionally.
“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.”
Mr McFarlane said his family also need help “to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice” and asked for help from the community for information that could assist the investigation.
“My daughter is a fighter, but she needs her community behind her more than ever,” he added.
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Officers were flagged down in Alfred Road by staff at the school while on patrol at 4.42pm on Monday, with paramedics and London Fire Brigade also attending.
Westminster Academy said on Tuesday that one pupil, a teacher and a member of the public were hurt “in an incident outside the school building” on the main road involving an “acid-like corrosive substance”.
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Police said the 14-year-old girl was taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries, while the 16-year-old boy was in hospital with less serious injuries. The 27-year-old woman had been discharged from hospital.
Detective Chief Inspector Dean Purvis said a member of staff “bravely and selflessly rushed to provide first aid to the two victims”, getting hurt in the process
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“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,” he said, adding the suspect fled down Harrow Road.
Two police officers were taken to hospital as a precaution after they reported feeling unwell.
The principal of Westminster Academy, Numera Anwar, previously said it was a “distressing incident” that took place “after school hours when students and staff were leaving the school site”.
