Students of Acid Attack Forgive Their Assailant: “Mental illness is not a choice”

These girls may have been the victim of a crime, but they are insisting on showing kindness to their attacker, rather than bitterness.

Four Boston College students who have been studying abroad in France and Denmark were attacked by a 41-year-old woman with a mental illness this weekend when they were visiting Marseilles.

The woman threw a weak hydrochloric solution on the students in the city’s train station and though it was not a very strong solution, the acid got into the eyes of two of the students.

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The woman reportedly sat down on the curb until police arrived on the scene and the students were rushed to the hospital.

None of the girls suffered any injuries, but two of them did take to Facebook after the incident and asked their friends and family to pray for their attacker.

One of the students, Courtney Siverling, wrote: “Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to see if I’m ok and/or has been praying for us. I did not receive any injuries from the attack in Marseille this morning and we are all safe.”

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“I pray that the attacker would be healed from her mental illness in the name of Jesus and receive the forgiveness and salvation that can only come from Him.”

Michelle Krug wrote something similar, saying: “I ask that if you send thoughts and prayers our way, please consider thinking about/praying for our attacker so that she may receive the help she needs and deserves.”

“Mental illness is not a choice and should not be villainized.”

The women “have stated their intention to remain in Europe for their studies and have offered forgiveness to the woman who attacked them, an individual who police say suffers from mental illness,” Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn told the Associated Press.

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