Zanzibar acid attack girls secure university places

THE father of one of the teenagers attacked with acid in Zanzibar expressed his pride in his daughter yesterday as he confirmed that both had secured places at university.

Kirstie Trup (left) and Katie Gee

Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee, both 18, are recovering after being attacked on a volunteering holiday on the African island.

Kirstie’s father, Marc, confirmed the pair had achieved the necessary grades and that his daughter will study history at Bristol, while Katie will study sociology at Nottingham. He said: “We are really proud of Kirstie. She’s a very determined young lady. I’m sure she will go on to achieve success in life.”

His daughter was due to have a skin graft today at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after suffering burns.

She had been temporarily discharged after three days of medical care, but returned to hospital for further treatment. Earlier this week Mr Trup said his daughter jumped into the sea following the attack, which helped limit the extent of her injuries.

‘’That completely altered the result, the salt water and the acid,’’ he said.

Miss Gee is understood to have sustained more serious injuries and is also expected to need a skin graft.

Yesterday, she took to Twitter to say: “On the plus side I’m off to Nottingham!”

The young women were enjoying the last week of a trip as volunteer teachers to the predominantly Muslim island, when acid was thrown at them in an apparently unprovoked attack.