FOI 361/25

REQUEST

I would like to request the following data on corrosive offences between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024 inclusive.

 

1. The number of offences that were recorded as physical corrosive substance/fluid attacks against the person.
2. The number of threats of corrosive substance/fluid attacks against the person.
3. The age and gender of victims of the said offences mentioned in 1 and 2.
4. The age and gender of suspects of the said offences mentioned in 1 and 2.
5. Outcomes of physical corrosive substance attacks against the person.
6. Outcomes of threats of corrosive substance attacks against the person.

 

RESPONSE

 

A search was conducted on our crime and incident reporting system (NICHE RMS) for HO (Home office) codes:

 

• 5E/5/7: Causing explosions/sending explosive substance/throwing corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm

 

• 008/76/OW19013: Threaten a person with an offensive weapon / bladed article / corrosive substance in a private place - Offensive Weapons Act 2019 Sec 52(1) & (6).

 

Each occurrence has been individually reviewed to see if the threats made involved a corrosive substance/fluid attack.

 

Question 1

 

One

 

Question 2

 

Zero

 

Question 3

 

Female 46 – 55yrs

 

Due to there being only one victim the age is being given within a data range to avoid any possibility of identifying the individual.

The exemption that applies is S40(2) – Personal information.

 

Section 40(2) is an absolute class-based exemption and therefore the authority is not required to consider the public interest in disclosure.

 

The Data Protection Act covers processing of personal data about a living individual. Personal data means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-

 

1. from those data, or
2. from those data and other information, which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual.

 

Information will “relate to” a person if it is about them, linked to them, has some biographical significance for them, is used to inform decisions affecting them, has them as its main focus or impacts on them in any way.

 

If we disclosed these details, this would provide significant detail which could identify an individual and would breach the first principle of the Data Protection Act 2018.

 

In accordance with the Act, this letter represents a refusal notice for this part of your request.

 

Question 4

 

No suspect identified.

 

Question 5

 

18: Investigation complete no suspect identified.

 

Question 6

 

Not applicable