London – As the hunt for the main suspect in the Clapham chemical attack continues, the authorities found that the man was convicted of sexual assault and was granted asylum in the United Kingdom. The police were hunting for a suspect named  Abdul Shokoor Ezedi after he allegedly attacked a mother and two children with an alkaline substance in Clapham, south London. The attack injured nine people including those who came to try to rescue the woman and the children. According to The Telegraph, the 35-year-old Ezedi arrived in the United Kingdom in the back of a lorry in 2016. Ezedi sought asylum in the country after he told the authorities that his life would be in danger if he returned to his native country i.e. Afghanistan. 

As per the information obtained by the British news outlet, Ezedi was convicted of a sex offence in 2018  and was twice refused asylum before being granted leave to remain in 2021 or 2022. He was granted asylum after a priest vouched for his conversation and mentioned that Ezedi would be "wholly committed" to his new religion. The police went on to release an image of Ezedi which was taken an hour after the attack. However, his face in the video was visibly disfigured. 

What happened? 

Nine people including children were injured after a suspected “acid attack” rocked Clapham, South London. The Metropolitan police were called to Lessar Avenue, Clapham at 7:25 pm (local time) on Wednesday. According to The Guardian, the main recipients of the attack were a woman and two children and a further six people were injured after coming to their aid. Out of the six people who were injured in the incident, three were police officers. However, Deputy Superintendent Alexander Castle noted that the injuries acquired by the police officers were minor. 

“While tests are ongoing to determine what the substance is, at this stage we believe it to be a corrosive substance," Castle told local reporters on Wednesday, The Guardian reported. “A man was seen fleeing the scene. We are drawing on resources from across the Met to apprehend this individual and work is ongoing to determine what has led to this awful incident," he added. Meanwhile, Labour Party's London Assembly member Marina Ahmad mentioned that the women and children were in the car when they were assaulted by a man. “There has been a traffic collision with a man assaulting occupants in a car and throwing acid. Victims include children. 7:25 pm Lessar Avenue, Clapham Common South Side, SW4 If you have any information, please contact Crimestoppers 0800 555 111, completely anonymously,” Ahmad wrote on X, formally known as Twitter.