Katie Piper: My Beautiful Face

One of the most moving documentaries I have seen on television in recent times is, 'Katie: My Beautiful Face'. For those on another planet, it is the story of Katie Piper, a young 25 year old model and TV presenter, who, about a year ago, was badly disfigured when her vile boyfriend raped her and then hired another moron to throw sulfuric acid in her face. The programme covered her traumatic journey from the incident, through her treatment, by a brilliant cosmetic surgeon, Mohammad Ali Jawad, to the present day.

By coincidence, I had read a novel called, 'The Gargoyle', by Andrew Davidson http://bit.ly/1xaxor . It is a brilliant and thought provoking read in itself, but the thing that impressed me most was the detailed description of the treatment undergone by the principal character, who suffered 90% burns in a car accident. I was therefore fully briefed and could identify with Katie's experience.

Immediately after the attack, Katie ran, screaming, into a café. If only, if only, if only, someone had had the presence of mind to pour cold water over her, instead of standing by while an ambulance was called. The water would have neutralized the acid. But it occurred to me that there is so little science taught in schools, these days, that it's possible that no-one, in the café, knew that water neutralizes acid.

However, the most poignant and inspiring feature of the whole piece was how this young girl's character and personality, shone like a beacon out of her ravaged face. To me it proved, once and for all, that real beauty is not just skin deep.

You will notice that I have studiously avoided mentioning her attackers.

Depressingly, there is no point in wondering how anyone could possibly do such a thing. Such people are in action all over the world. Not just here but in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the Congo, to name but a few. In these countries women are often treated appallingly.

I remember that, as a young man (before I met my wife), all I wanted, to make my life complete, was a nice girlfriend. During my, often futile, hunt, I was constantly astonished at how often the best looking girls were attracted to the ugliest and most unpleasant men. Therefore it was no surprise, to me, that the beautiful Katie had taken up with a monster. What is, also, no surprise is that women often stay with such people no matter how badly they are treated. It must be something in the female psyche that is beyond 'normal' male understanding.

In Katie's case, I wonder if this man would have been in the country at all, if we had anything approaching an effective immigration policy.

Anyway, all the politics and social comment aside, I wish Katie all the luck in the world and much love in re-building her life, and I'm sure that, eventually, she will meet someone who has also noticed that beauty is not just skin deep.