Benedict Moore - Bridger
The families of two London girls doused with acid in Zanzibar today criticised the Government for not doing more to ensure their attackers are brought to justice.
Friends Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee were covered in battery acid by two men on a moped as they walked to dinner in Stone Town, the tropical island’s capital, nearly four months ago.
The 18-year-olds, who were volunteering with the charity Art in Tanzania for the summer, were flown back to the UK and are continuing to have extensive treatment for the burns on their faces, arms and chests.
![]( "Horrific: the damage caused to one of the girls by the acid attack in Stone Town")
Horrific: the damage caused to one of the girls by the acid attack in Stone Town Today their parents said there was “no sense of urgency” from the Foreign Office, which instead had been sending them “platitudes” by email.
Marc Trup, 51, Kirstie’s property developer father, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “I suspect the Tanzanian authorities don’t take the Foreign Office remotely seriously. There is a suspect on bail, there is a supposed photograph of the suspect, to be identified by the girls.
“The photograph cannot be sent in the correct format that is acceptable by Interpol, or the British authorities, and as a consequence of that nobody has seen the photo.
“It just seems ridiculous that we haven’t seen it and the girls haven’t seen it and, as time goes on, their memory will fade.
“I would like to see whoever threw that acid brought to justice. I don’t blame the country, I don’t blame the religion, I blame the person.” Doug Morris, 45, the partner of Katie’s mother Nicky, said: “If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are committed to helping to bring these people to justice on behalf of two British citizens, then you would expect them to move hell and high water to do that. And there just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency to conclude matters.”
Miss Trup, from Hampstead, who is studying history at Bristol University, is “progressing mentally and physically”, her father said.
Mr Morris said Miss Gee, from East Finchley, who has a place to study sociology at Nottingham, was “remarkable — she is very strong mentally and just coping with the process of healing”.
The Foreign Office said it “provided every assistance that we can” but “cannot interfere in another country’s police investigation”.
It added: “However, the British Government has stressed the importance of a thorough police investigation to find the perpetrators of the attack and to ensure they are brought to justice.”
Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/
The 18-year-olds, who were volunteering with the charity Art in Tanzania for the summer, were flown back to the UK and are continuing to have extensive treatment for the burns on their faces, arms and chests.
Horrific: the damage caused to one of the girls by the acid attack in Stone Town Today their parents said there was “no sense of urgency” from the Foreign Office, which instead had been sending them “platitudes” by email.
Marc Trup, 51, Kirstie’s property developer father, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “I suspect the Tanzanian authorities don’t take the Foreign Office remotely seriously. There is a suspect on bail, there is a supposed photograph of the suspect, to be identified by the girls.
“The photograph cannot be sent in the correct format that is acceptable by Interpol, or the British authorities, and as a consequence of that nobody has seen the photo.
“It just seems ridiculous that we haven’t seen it and the girls haven’t seen it and, as time goes on, their memory will fade.
“I would like to see whoever threw that acid brought to justice. I don’t blame the country, I don’t blame the religion, I blame the person.” Doug Morris, 45, the partner of Katie’s mother Nicky, said: “If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are committed to helping to bring these people to justice on behalf of two British citizens, then you would expect them to move hell and high water to do that. And there just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency to conclude matters.”
Miss Trup, from Hampstead, who is studying history at Bristol University, is “progressing mentally and physically”, her father said.
Mr Morris said Miss Gee, from East Finchley, who has a place to study sociology at Nottingham, was “remarkable — she is very strong mentally and just coping with the process of healing”.
The Foreign Office said it “provided every assistance that we can” but “cannot interfere in another country’s police investigation”.
It added: “However, the British Government has stressed the importance of a thorough police investigation to find the perpetrators of the attack and to ensure they are brought to justice.”
Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/