Mother, little daughter suffer severe burns after obsessive stalker throws acid at their face in broad daylight
A mother and daughter duo suffered serious burn injuries after an obsessive stalker threw acid on them. The incident reportedly happened in Catalonia, Spain, in front of the mother’s helpless parents.
The mother has been identified as Ana Mari, who said: “He threw a bottle of acid on us and burned us, my daughter and me. Now I can’t see through this eye and he burned my head and body." Ana and her five-year-old daughter were sprayed with the acid at her home in the town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, in north-eastern Spain, The Sun reported. According to local media reports, the 35-year-old victim, who is also mother to another two-year-old daughter, has suffered serious burns to her face, lips, gums, and right eye, which she might lose, while her daughter suffered burns to her lips, an eye, and her right hand. Both of them are receiving treatment for their injuries.
Recalling the incident from her hospital bed, Ana — whose eyes and head were bandaged — said that the accused was throwing stones at her window at six in the morning. “My parents had come to spend the weekend and they were very scared. I told him to leave. It was halfway down the stairs; I had gone down to argue with him, but I didn’t know he had anything on him otherwise I wouldn’t have gone down,” she said.
She stated that her alleged attacker threw acid on her and her daughter. To protect the little one, Ana tried to shield her and suffered major burns. “Thank God he didn’t get my two-year-old as well. I’m lucky he didn’t stab me with the knives he had in his bag," Ana added. She also said that in the past, she had complained about the suspect numerous times for stalking and threatening her, but to no avail. And as the alleged attacker was never arrested, he continued to stalk her and stood for hours outside her house, and throw stones at her window.
Following the incident, local Mayor Carles Motas announced a public rally in support of the mother and daughter. He said: “This time we have suffered violent action in the middle of the street. But I am sure that many women suffer it in silence, and for this reason, today we also want to send the message that they must report it and for them to know that we will stand by their side. We must remove those who exercise violence against the most vulnerable from our society, we do not want them among us. We need to be persistent to completely eradicate sexist violence.” Motas added that aggression had been used "towards a mother and her daughter by a despicable coward... we hope that the police will soon bring this wretched man to justice".
Meanwhile, on July 1, local police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, said that they have arrested the accused. The name of the 45-year-old alleged attacker has not been released, but it has been said that he is of Moroccan nationality and domiciled in the same town. He has been charged with causing injury, domestic abuse, and making threats. Police said two Citizen Security patrols from the local police station "located the man in a wooded area on the outskirts of the town, and after being identified, he was arrested at 9.30 am". The suspect is expected to appear in court soon.