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405 views • August 24, 2018

Release of Acid Attacker 'Really Difficult' Says TV Celebrity Katie Piper-Eng-Script

Mark Liu
The man who threw acid over model turned TV presenter Katie Piper has been released from jail after 11 years. Piper, who will star in upcoming TV show "Strictly Come Dancing" said it was a "really difficult time," as the parole board confirmed the release of Stefan Sylvestre, 30, who left her with permanent scarring from sulphuric acid. Sylvestre carried out the attack in 2008 at the request of Piper's obsessively jealous ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man. Piper said in a statement on Twitter, "This is a really difficult time for me. I am trying to come to terms with the decision and this is something I need to deal with. Over the past two weeks 'Strictly' has already given me such a welcome and positive distraction from my past." "Whilst there is never a good time to hear this news, I am glad I have this new journey to concentrate on. Thank you for your continued support. I really appreciate it,"she continued. Piper, a model at the time, went on to rebuild her career as a presenter, and author after she featured in a Channel 4 documentary, "Katie: My Beautiful Face in 2009." A representative for the parole board confirmed a panel of the parole board had directed  Sylvestre's release following an oral hearing. “Parole board decisions are solely focused on whether a prisoner would represent a significant risk to the public after release," the representative said. "The panel will have carefully looked at a whole range of evidence, including details of the original evidence and any evidence of behaviour change." The board noted that less than 1 percent of offenders commit further serious offences after a release decision. Sylvestre had been given a life sentence, and was expected to serve a minimum of six years. Acid attack organisations and experts have called for a change in the law, which they say allows gangs to carry acid as an alternative to knives and guns without fear of prosecution. Just a year after the attack, Piper launched the Katie Piper Foundation to campaign for more specialist help for burns victims. Piper isn't the only celebrity to have drawn focus on the UK's growing acid attack problems.
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