Acid offences up 75% in UK but only 8% go to court, data suggests

Acid Survivors Trust International calls for more focus on prevention in similar strategy to that for knife crime

Acid attacks and other offences involving corrosive substances in the UK have risen by 75% in a year but only 8% of cases led to criminal charges or a summons, figures suggest.

The total number of recorded offences last year based on freedom of information (FOI) requests was 1,244 - up from 710 in 2022 - comprising 454 physical attacks and 790 other alleged offences, including carrying corrosives and threats of acid attack to aid other offences such as rape or robbery.