Sickening acid attackers who maim and disfigure innocent victims have walked away undetected in more than a quarter of all recent incidents in Greater London, shocking new data has revealed.
A harrowing investigation, launched through a series of Freedom of Information requests by Legal Expert, shows the Metropolitan Police Service recorded a staggering 904 acid attacks over the last three years.
Disturbingly, the data shows a massive and sharp escalation across the capital, with the number of violent incidents soaring more than fivefold, jumping from 103 in 2023 to 265 in 2024, before reaching an alarming 536 in 2025.
Despite the sheer severity and scale of these crimes, justice remains elusive for hundreds of London’s victims.
A detailed breakdown of the force’s data lays bare the horrifying reality of the crisis, revealing that in more than a quarter of the Met’s cases, totalling 267 investigations across the three-year period, the file was closed without a suspect ever being identified.
Even when perpetrators were named, accountability was often thwarted across the three years, with 179 investigations collapsing entirely because victims did not support, or withdrew their support for, police action despite detectives identifying a suspect.
Meanwhile, the City of London Police recorded two acid attacks within its square mile over the same period, in 2023 and 2025. However, following further enquiries, the force clarified that the recorded 2025 incident was a false alarm regarding corrosive substances.
Responding to the figures, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said that since 2023, the force has quadrupled the charge rate for acid attacks. They added that throughout the capital, they have also reduced all levels of serious violence and work tirelessly to apprehend dangerous offenders and protect the public from harm.
Providing background to their response, the force noted that Londoners are less likely to be a victim of violent crime, at 26.4 offences per 1,000 population, than across the rest of England and Wales, which sits at 31.9 offences per 1,000 population.
Still, the statistics paint a devastating picture of the dangers and lack of resolution across the region, with hundreds of unsolved cases guaranteeing that a massive number of violent assailants are still walking the streets.
“These figures highlight a deeply concerning lack of accountability for what is a barbaric and life-altering crime,” said Ellie Lamey, a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) specialist at Legal Expert. “When perpetrators of such horrific attacks go unidentified, victims are robbed of the justice and closure they so rightfully deserve.
“Corrosive substance attacks leave victims with devastating physical and psychological scars that can take a lifetime to heal. It is absolutely vital that survivors understand they are not alone and that they can still seek specialist support and financial compensation to help rebuild their lives, even if their attacker has completely evaded the courts.”
Legal Expert offers expert legal support and advice to those affected by acid attacks. You can book a free consultation or call their 24-hour helpline by visiting their website.
