Nurse Ahmad Rashad Nadir’s home raided by NSW Police strikeforce officers
Police are now believed to have the “critical evidence” needed to progress the investigation into two nurses at the centre of a hate speech video. It comes after one of the nurses’ homes was raided by officers on Friday.
NSW
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It’s understood police are now in possession of the “critical evidence” needed to progress the investigation into two nurses at the centre of a hate speech video filmed inside Bankstown Hospital.
On Saturday morning Sky News reported that influencer Max Veifer sent police the full, unedited video via email at 8.50pm last night.
The email came just hours after police issued a statement saying they were still waiting for him to hand over the full video.
“Investigators have requested a full and unedited version of the video as part of this investigation, NSW Police spokesperson said.
“Police are aware an extended version has been posted online, however nothing has been directly provided to NSW Police.”
However, on Saturday morning, police would not be drawn on whether they received the footage from Mr Veifer.
As police investigate the incident, detectives from Strike Force Pearl searched the Bankstown home of Ahmad Rashad Nadir.
It’s understood they bagged several items which were seized for examination.
While police are understood to now be in possession of the video, charges against Nadir or his colleague are yet to be laid.
It’s understood Nadir remains in hospital following concerns over his mental health, while Abu Lebdeh is being cared for by family at her parents’ home.
Four days after pediatric nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh told influencer Max Veifer they would kill their Israeli patients in a video that has gone viral, police are yet to lay any charges against the pair.
DELAY OVER ‘CRITICAL EVIDENCE’
Police launched an urgent investigation into the video and, while NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Nadir and Abu Lebdeh’s comments appeared to be a “hate crime”, she noted Mr Veifer had not provided the “critical evidence” to them of the unedited footage.
Despite Mr Veifer posting the unedited 2½-minute video on Instagram on Friday morning, NSW Police said they still had not received the original file from him.
“NSW Police provided the correct contact details to the influencer at the centre of this inquiry,” a spokesman said.
“Investigators have requested a full and unedited version of the video as part of this investigation.
“Police are aware an extended version has been posted online, however nothing has been directly provided to NSW Police.
“Discussions between NSW Police and the influencer remain open and ongoing.”
With the pair refusing to be voluntarily interviewed by police, and Nadir being rushed to hospital over mental health concerns on Thursday night, it’s understood the investigation cannot progress without the influencer’s co-operation.
Sydney criminal lawyer Maggie Sten, of firm George Sten and Co, said that after watching the video, and without any other investigation, there appeared to be a case to support the nurses being charged.
“I think there are several offences they could be charged with,” Ms Sten said. “One could be using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
“They are using a carriage service – a phone – to threaten the person on the other end.
“This includes the slitting of the throat gesture.”
Ms Sten said they could also be charged with intimidation offences.
“The same applies as with the carriage service offence,” Ms Sten said.
“They are being intimidating by telling the person on the other end that they have killed Jews in the past and plan on doing it again.”
The lawyer also said “a Jewish group could sue them civilly under section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act”.
“They could sue the hospital under the same section of the act as the hospital is vicariously liable for the actions of their employees.”
In the unedited video posted on Friday, Mr Veifer asks if he is going to be killed because he served in the Israel Defence Forces, and Mr Nadir says: “That’s definitely the answer. Correct.”
Following this admission Abu Lebdeh makes her presence known, stating that Israel “killed innocent people”.
State opposition police spokesman Paul Toole said he could not understand why the pair had not yet been charged.
“How much more evidence do you need to go ahead and charge somebody?” he said.
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