Authorities “strongly believe” that the body they pulled from the River Thames is that of a man wanted over a chemical attack
ADVERTISEMENTLondon's Metropolitan Police believe they have found the body of Abdul Ezedi, 35, in the River Thames, identified as the suspect in a chemical attack on his ex-partner and her daughters in Clapham, south London, on January 31.
The attack left the 31-year-old mother and her 8-year-old daughter injured from a corrosive alkali, while the 3-year-old had her head slammed into the ground.
Images of Ezedi soon after showed he had significant injuries to the right side of his face, but his whereabouts were unknown. On Feb. 9, the Met said they believed Ezedi had probably “gone into the water” after piecing together closed-circuit television footage of his movements after the attack.
“Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi,” Commander Jon Savell said on Tuesday.
He added that formal identification by visual means, or via fingerprints, was not possible, given the time the body was in water.
“We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records,” Savell said. “That may take some time.”
British media reported that Ezedi is an Afghan refugee who was granted asylum despite being convicted of a sex offense in Britain in 2018. His initial asylum request was denied, but he was later allowed to stay after converting to Christianity, sparking debate and scrutiny over the asylum process and background checks, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.