Migrant in corrosive substance attack is sex offender who converted to Christianity to claim asylum: report

 An Afghan migrant man wanted for maiming a mother and her two daughters in a corrosive substance attack in London is a convicted sex offender who converted to Christianity to successfully claim asylum after two failed attempts , according to multiple reports.

Abdul Shokur Ezedi, 35, allegedly threw a corrosive alkaline substance from a metal coffee cup on a 31-year-old woman and her daughters, aged 3 and 8, during an incident on Wednesday night near Lesser Avenue in the southern part of the city. , All three are still in the hospital.

The suspect attempted to flee the scene in a car, but he crashed into a stationary vehicle and then fled, the BBC reported.

It has now emerged that Ezedi is a former asylum seeker from Afghanistan who was granted asylum in the UK despite being convicted of a sex crime in 2018. Was allowed to stay in. He traveled to the U.K. on the back of a truck in 2016. had come.

He was given a nine-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, for sexual assault and a 36-week prison sentence, also suspended for two years, for exposure. He was granted the right to remain in the UK on his third application in 2020, the BBC reported.

A priest confirmed that Ezedi had converted to Christianity, which helped his application, the Daily Mail reported. Earlier he followed Muslim faith.

The Metropolitan Police say investigators believe Ezedi and the woman "are known to each other."

Superintendent Gabriel Cameron said, "Although none of their conditions are life-threatening, the injuries suffered by the woman and the little girl could be life-changing."

"It may take a while for hospital staff to be able to tell how serious it may be," Cameron said.

Police also said that three women – two of whom were in their 30s and one in their 50s – were injured when they came to the family's aid.

All of them have been discharged from the hospital due to minor burns. A man aged in his 50s refused hospital treatment for minor injuries.

According to Cameron, five officers who responded to the scene suffered injuries, but were treated and released from hospital care.

He said, "All these members of the public and my officers deserve the utmost recognition and praise for coming to the aid of this woman and children in this horrific scenario." "We will provide them all possible assistance."

The Met Police are now working to locate Ezedi.

Cameron said, "We believe he had traveled from Newcastle earlier that day. We don't yet know why this happened. We are working to establish the circumstances."

"Although this appears to be a targeted attack, he is a dangerous individual and we need to find him urgently," he said.