The perpetrator of a chemical attack in Clapham, London, on Wednesday that left 12 people injured has been identified as Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, an Afghan asylum seeker who is also a convicted sex offender.
Ezedi, who resides in Newcastle, unsuccessfully applied for asylum in the U.K. twice before succeeding on his third attempt. In 2018, he was convicted of a “sexual offense” and handed a suspended sentence and two years probation, which expired in 2020.
The suspect, who also injured himself in the vicious alkaline attack, is believed to have traveled to London from Newcastle on the day of the assault. The targets of the attack, a 31-year-old mother and her two daughters, three years old and eight years old, sustained severe injuries and are still in hospital. After throwing the chemical, Ezedi picked up the 3-year-old girl and “threw her to the floor like a rag doll,” according to one eyewitness. Five officers who responded to the incident were also injured.
While a significant manhunt immediately followed the attack, authorities did not identify or release a description of the suspect until later on Thursday. British police have faced criticism in the past for refusing to identify criminals of migrant backgrounds due to ‘racism’ concerns. Last year, a Syrian asylum seeker in France went on a stabbing spree, targeting a group of children and injuring an elderly bystander.
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