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Acid attack victim Naomi Oni accuses police of 'incompetence' | Acid attack victim Naomi Oni accuses police of 'incompetence' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A woman left scarred by an acid attack has accused Scotland Yard of incompetence, saying police initially claimed she had done it to herself. | |
Naomi Oni suffered severe burns when Mary Konye, who has since been jailed for 12 years, threw acid in her face. | Naomi Oni suffered severe burns when Mary Konye, who has since been jailed for 12 years, threw acid in her face. |
She told BBC's Today programme police had been slow to act on information she gave them about the 2012 attack. | |
The Metropolitan Police said they had considered all lines of enquiry in the early stages of their investigation. | |
Speaking to Today's Mishal Husain, 22-year-old Ms Oni said it almost felt like she had "been accused of lying" after her then-friend attacked her in Dagenham, east London. | |
She said police had been incompetent "to kind of accuse me of doing it to myself, when I've said somebody has followed me from my workplace to my home". | |
'Nobody has answers' | 'Nobody has answers' |
Ms Oni added: "When I was in court and I saw the CCTV footage, I just looked at it and I thought: 'Well, you can blatantly see that what I said is what happened, so where did that decision come from?'" | Ms Oni added: "When I was in court and I saw the CCTV footage, I just looked at it and I thought: 'Well, you can blatantly see that what I said is what happened, so where did that decision come from?'" |
Konye, also 22, of Canning Town, east London, allegedly attacked Ms Oni because she had called her ugly. | Konye, also 22, of Canning Town, east London, allegedly attacked Ms Oni because she had called her ugly. |
CCTV footage showed her wearing a veil and secretly following Ms Oni home from her job at a Victoria's Secret shop in December 2012. | CCTV footage showed her wearing a veil and secretly following Ms Oni home from her job at a Victoria's Secret shop in December 2012. |
Initially, police did not act on what Ms Oni had told them about the circumstances, she has alleged. | Initially, police did not act on what Ms Oni had told them about the circumstances, she has alleged. |
"I even got told that they watched the CCTV footage and they saw no-one following me," she said. | "I even got told that they watched the CCTV footage and they saw no-one following me," she said. |
"We've all seen the CCTV footage. There was a person in a veil following me. | "We've all seen the CCTV footage. There was a person in a veil following me. |
"Why was this not found in the beginning? Nobody has answers to tell me." | "Why was this not found in the beginning? Nobody has answers to tell me." |
It was argued in court that Ms Oni was trying to find fame and fortune following a similar incident in which model and TV presenter Katie Piper was partially blinded. | It was argued in court that Ms Oni was trying to find fame and fortune following a similar incident in which model and TV presenter Katie Piper was partially blinded. |
But she told the BBC the reason she looked up the case on the internet was that she had seen a documentary on Miss Piper and found it "a moving and touching story". | But she told the BBC the reason she looked up the case on the internet was that she had seen a documentary on Miss Piper and found it "a moving and touching story". |
'Jealous and obsessed' | |
She broke down in tears as she described her attacker as an "evil person", and recalled how Konye had been "jealous and obsessed" and had bullied her. | |
The two had been in contact before the attack and Konye even called her victim while she was in hospital, Ms Oni said. | |
She "couldn't eat for days" after being told who had attacked her, she added . | |
"I didn't want to believe it, it didn't make sense", she said. | |
Ms Oni needed skin grafts and has suffered permanent scars to her leg, chest, stomach and arms and was almost blinded in one eye. | Ms Oni needed skin grafts and has suffered permanent scars to her leg, chest, stomach and arms and was almost blinded in one eye. |
She has to wear a face mask and faces further reconstructive surgery. | She has to wear a face mask and faces further reconstructive surgery. |
She said she had been left feeling "isolated" and "alone" since the attack. | |
"My life isn't so normal at the moment," she added. | |
'Complex investigation' | 'Complex investigation' |
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "All lines of enquiry were considered in the early stages of the investigation. | The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "All lines of enquiry were considered in the early stages of the investigation. |
"The investigation was detailed and complex and officers had a duty to explore every avenue of enquiry and retain an open mind about the circumstances. | "The investigation was detailed and complex and officers had a duty to explore every avenue of enquiry and retain an open mind about the circumstances. |
"They carried out numerous actions including door-to-door enquiries, leaflet drops, searches, interviews and forensic analyses. | "They carried out numerous actions including door-to-door enquiries, leaflet drops, searches, interviews and forensic analyses. |
"The CCTV evidence took some time to collate and analyse but then clearly showed a veiled suspect trailing the victim before the attack. Konye was arrested as the investigation progressed." | "The CCTV evidence took some time to collate and analyse but then clearly showed a veiled suspect trailing the victim before the attack. Konye was arrested as the investigation progressed." |