A 25-year-old medical student accused of throwing sulphuric acid on his ex-girlfriend while disguised as a Black woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a UK court.
According to The Guardian, Milad Rouf hid his identity by wearing a fat suit, makeup and sunglasses. And he is said to have poured the acid on Rym Alaoui’s face after she answered the door at her home. Alaoui, who couldn’t make her ex-boyfriend out because of the disguise, was reading a note Rouf displayed when he threw the harmful substance on her.
Authorities also said the suspect traveled from Wales to the victim’s home in Brighton, England to commit the crime. The May incident resulted in the junior doctor sustaining serious injuries that have since altered her life. Besides being unable to see in the right eye, Alaoui cannot also shut her eyes and move her neck.
Investigators found a “shopping list” in Rouf’s flat following the attack. The “list” consisted of items Rouf obtained for his disguise, and this included a “fat suit” and “black morph suit”.
“Using padded clothing and makeup, he made himself appear to be a black woman of large build. By the time of the attack at 4.15 pm, he was dressed all in black and he was wearing a face mask, sunglasses and a face visor,” Prosecutor Flora Page said in court.
Rouf and Alaoui briefly dated while they were medical students at Cardiff University. Alaoui, however, broke up with him before she relocated to Brighton in April. “You thought about what you wanted to do and how you were going to do it and planned it over weeks before carrying it out,” Judge Christine Laing said in court, according to The Guardian.
“You knew full well what you were doing was wrong and you tried to evade responsibility for it to continue to pursue your medical career.”
Laing also labeled the attack as incomprehensible, adding that it stemmed from anger and jealousy as a result of the victim ending things with the accused. Alaoui, in a statement, said the incident has put her career and future in jeopardy. The victim is also in her 20s.
“When I came to answer the door that day, a substance I now know to be sulphuric acid was thrown into my face,” she wrote. “Since the day I was subject to this horrific attack, my life has changed. I live in pain and fear of my future wellbeing and financial hardship.
“The impact of the attack includes severe damage to my right eye which I am still unable to see out of. Damage to eyelids and damage to skin on face, neck and arm.
“I am unable to move my neck and close my eyelids. I have had five surgeries. I’m still trying to come to terms with more procedures and operations.”
She added: “I am unable to attend work or live my life. I have been robbed of years of my career and young adult life. The psychological effect had been colossal on me, my family and loved ones.
“I cannot begin to imagine why somebody would commit such a premeditated and horrible attack. I cannot understand what was in his mind.”
