Strikeforce officers sent clip of nurses, Israeli influencer after raid
Five days after two nurses went viral over comments threatening to kill Israeli patients, police have finally confirmed they are in possession of the clip they needed.
NSW
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Five days after two nurses went viral over comments threatening to kill Israeli patients, police have not charged them, despite being in possession of the “critical evidence” they needed.
It took police some 20 hours to finally confirm detectives from Strike Force Pearl had received the raw video of Bankstown Hospital nurses Ahmad Rashad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh’s now viral rant about killing Israeli patients.
Police this week said they needed influencer Max Veifer to give them the “full and unedited” version of the video, with Police Commissioner Karen Webb dubbing it “critical evidence” which was crucial to progressing the investigation.
Despite Mr Veifer directly emailing the full vision to detectives from Strike Force Pearl at 8.50pm on Friday night – charges have not been laid against for the nurses, with police still weighing up what offence they may have committed.
Just before 5pm, on Saturday afternoon, NSW Police finally released a statement confirming detectives were in possession of the requested video.
“Investigators attached to Strike Force Pearl have been in contact with the influencer and he is co-operating with police,” a spokeswoman said.
“Detectives have received a file supplied overnight. Inquiries are continuing.”
Meanwhile, police have reportedly seized a vial of morphine allegedly found inside Nadir’s personal locker at Bankstown Hospital in the days after he was stood down.
Nadir remained in hospital on Saturday, after paramedics were called to his Bankstown home on Thursday following a concern for welfare.
On Saturday his older sister told reporters he was “not well” and was still in hospital for his mental health.
It’s understood both Nadir and Abu Lebdeh have retained lawyers – who are yet to release any statements on behalf of their clients – and are refusing to be voluntarily interviewed by police.
Detectives searched Nadir’s home late on Friday, seizing several bags of evidence which will also form part of the investigation.
It’s understood the search on his home has been the only warrant carried out as part of Strike Force Pearl’s inquiries so far – however police have scoured through documents and records at Bankstown Hospital where the pair were employed.
The sickening anti-Semitic rant – which spread rapidly online on Wednesday — was filmed inside a hospital staffroom on Tuesday night while the two nurses were working an overnight shift.
The pair, who were both wearing NSW Health-branded scrubs, were filmed speaking to Israeli content creator Max Veifer, who then uploaded the video to social media to expose them.
“You have no idea how many (Israelis) came to this hospital and I sent them to Jahannam (hell),’ Mr Nadir said in the footage, as well as making a throat-slitting gesture.
When asked what she would do if an Israeli patient presented in her ward, Ms Abu Lebdeh responds: “I won’t treat them, I will kill them”.
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