Wednesday, 14 January 2004 - 2:42pm |
Canterbury

Fifth chemical `burn' reported

2 min read

A fifth incident of a young woman experiencing `burns’ after using a public toilet last Friday night/ Saturday morning has been reported and police believe that more people could have been affected.

The fifth incident was not reported to police until late last Saturday afternoon when the 20 year old woman went to hospital for treatment. She said she had felt too embarrassed to go earlier but was encouraged to late Saturday afternoon by a family member who had heard of the other incidents at Sydenham Park on the radio.

The young woman had been at an inner city bar with a friend and used the ladies at about 2am. She immediately said she felt the stinging feeling, ‘it felt like razor blades had been scratching the top of my thighs’.

She says she just wanted to get out of the bar and went home where the pain stopped her sleeping. She says she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. When she told her mother she was encouraged to go to the hospital for medical treatment.

Detective Kevin KIRKMAN says that if there was one case at this bar it is highly likely that others were also `burned’. They may also been too embarrassed to report it or were not as badly affected.

"Someone must know something about this," he says. "We would like to hear from anyone who has suffered any similar `burns’ or discomfort after using a public toilet," he says.

Two of the four women affected in the Sydenham Park toilets last Saturday are still in hospital though one is likely to be released today says Sergeant Lew CORBETT.

Forensic samples have been sent to ESR but results are not expected for two weeks. It is not known if the incidents at the Sydenham park toilets are directly related to this case but it seems too much of a coincidence say police.

"This could have started as a prank," says Sergeant CORBETT who is investigating the Sydenham cases. "The ‘pranksters’ may not have realised how serious this could become. Two of the young women have received very serious injuries and may need plastic surgery. Someone must know what happened."

Anyone who has any information about acidic substances being placed on toilets is asked to contact Detective Kevin KIRKMAN phone 363 7959 or Sgt Lew CORBETT at Sydenham, phone 3632517.