A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after a suspected acid attack outside a school in west London, the Metropolitan Police say.
A 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were injured when acid was thrown over them outside Westminster Academy on Monday afternoon.
The teenagers were rushed to hospital, along with a member of staff who was injured as she tried to help them.
It’s feared the girl may have life-changing injuries from the attack. She has returned to hospital having been briefly discharged by doctors, police said.
The suspect, who was on a scooter and was wearing a mask or other face covering, fled the scene in Harrow Road after the attack.
The boy was discharged by the hospital, as police said his injuries were less severe than the girl’s.
The man was arrested on Thursday morning and remained in custody.
Corey McFarlane, the girl’s father, told The Standard that she was in a stable condition after suffering burns on the left side of her face, but that she could be scarred for life.
He said: “She’s very traumatised by the attack.
“She’s very scared about her injuries. She’s a young girl, and these scars could be for life. She’s very worried about that and has been asking about that.”
Mr McFarlane said he had been staying at his daughter’s bedside in hospital, waking every couple of hours to administer eye drops and apply paraffin to her face “to keep everything in place”.
He said: “I can’t explain what I’m going through. Words can’t explain it.”
His daughter now wanted to be home-schooled instead of going to school, he said, according to The Standard.
Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, who is investigating the incident, said: “The investigation team has been working tirelessly to piece together the events in which two young victims, aged 16 and 14, were approached outside the school by a lone man who threw a substance at them before fleeing.
“We launched an urgent manhunt to identify and arrest the man responsible for this horrific attack. I am pleased to confirm a man was arrested in the early hours of this morning in connection with the incident.
“The 14-year-old girl sustained serious injuries and has returned to hospital having been briefly discharged by doctors.
“It may still be some time before we know the true extent of how serious her injuries are, but at this time they are being treated as potentially life-changing.
“The 16-year-old boy has now been discharged by the hospital and fortunately his injuries are not as severe as the girl’s.
“A member of staff from the school also sustained injuries as she rushed to the youngsters to provide first aid to them.”
The school was closed on Tuesday, but lessons were conducted online. On Wednesday it opened as normal but police were on patrol in the area.
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