4 American Study Abroad Students Are Being Treated for Burns After Being Sprayed With Acid in France

Four Boston College students are recovering and treated for burns after being sprayed with acid at a train station in Marseille, France on Sunday, The New York Times reports. 

The college juniors, three of whom were participating in Boston College's Paris study abroad program, were traveling from Marseille to Paris and were waiting for their train when their attacker threw hydrochloric acid on them. Two of them were injured while the other two women reportedly were able to escape without injury.

According to police, the incident, which was carried out by a 41-year-old female attacker with a "psychiatric history" and no history of extremism, is not being investigated as an act of terrorism. She was quickly arrested at the scene and did not try to flee, French newspaper La Provence reported. 

In a Facebook post, Michelle Krug, one of the victims of the attack, wrote, "To fill in those who have not heard, three of my friends and I were attacked this morning at a Marseille train station by a woman suffering from a mental illness," Krug said. "She threw a weak solution of hydrochloric acid at us from a water bottle, which got in one of my eyes and one of my friend's eyes. We were all treated at a local hospital and are anticipating a quick recovery."

Krug added, "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."

Thankfully, despite the awful incident, it sounds like all four women are remaining positive and will recover quickly.