MOST PARENTS AND THE VICTIM BELIEVE THE COPS ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH AND IN THIS CASE THEY MAY BE RIGHT

Family of Long Island acid attack victim says Nassau cops dropped the ball 

 

By Kevin Sheehan and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon

 

New York Post

March 17, 2022

 

 

Ikram before the acid attack on March 17, 2021

Ikram after the acid attack. Her family has said police have not taken the case seriously

 

The family of the Long Island college student who was left severely burned from an acid attack said Thursday that cops haven’t done enough to catch the culprit.

One year to the day after Nafiah Ikram had acid hurled in her face in her own driveway, her attacker remains on the loose — and her family says it’s Nassau County cops’ fault.

“The police department, they never take this case seriously,” said the victim’s father, Sheikh Ikram, 50. “So, please. Help us to find that animal. My daughter, she is suffering every single day and we are going through a very tough time. It was somebody who really knows her well, who has very good information.”

Nafiah Ikram, 22, was returning from work at a local CVS around 8:20 p.m. March 17, 2021, when an unidentified man ran up to her in the family driveway in Elmont and threw acid in her face before running off.

The woman, who was studying medicine at Hofstra University, was severely burned and remains disfigured despite several surgeries — the latest as recently as two weeks ago.

 

Ikram estimated she could have 25 plastic surgeries in the next five year   

 The student was severely burned from the attack

 

“First, I had reconstruction of my right eyelid,” Nafiah Ikram said. “In between surgeries, every two weeks, I had esophageal dilation. I was not able to eat because my esophagus lost its flexibility, so something as small as a pill will get stuck in my throat.

“There will be many plastic surgeries,” she said. “If you ask me in five years, it will probably be 25 surgeries.”

Like her parents, she faults police for not doing enough to catch her attacker and said they even “legitimately accused me of lying and withholding information.

“I think in the beginning they didn’t take it seriously,” Nafiah Ikram said. “They went through my social media, my text messages, all of that and still couldn’t find one lead.

 

Ikram said she faults police for not doing enough to catch her attacker 

 

“That goes to show you either they weren’t trying hard enough or this person really is a good hider,” she said. “We don’t want this to happen to anyone else’s child. The fact that this person is still out there, even my family, friends, my community, my neighbors, they’re all scared. They lock their doors.”

In a statement Thursday, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder defended investigators’ efforts to break the case.

“The Nassau County Police Department continues an intense and comprehensive investigation into the heinous act that took place one year ago, when our victim, Nafiah Ikram, was assaulted with a hazardous substance,” the statement said. 

 

Ikram at one point had reconstructive surgery for her right eyelid

Nassau authorities said they are working diligently to make a break in the case

 

“Numerous interagency resources have been assigned and continue to collaborate to bring the person responsible to justice,” Ryder said. “Nassau County Crimestoppers and the FBI have both equally increased their reward to a total of $40,000 for tips that could lead to an arrest of the person or persons responsible.

“We have continued to work with the Ikram family and urge anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS,” he said.