Nurse attacker claims he was drunk

TDT | Manama

An Asian man who brutally assaulted a nurse in Salmaniya two months ago, in an attempt to snatch her purse, claimed in the interrogation that he was drunk at the time of the incident. The 29-year-old Indian man initially denied the accusations, but later confessed, stating that he was drunk and followed the woman in the vicinity of his residence in Salmaniya for two to three minutes before he attacked her. He told interrogators that he had choked her from behind using his hand, causing her to fall to the ground, and later punched her in different parts of her body. He further stated that the victim resisted him and cried out for help, adding that he escaped the spot when he saw two individuals approaching.

As reported earlier, the victim is a 33-year-old Indian nurse who was walking home after finishing her work shift at Salmaniya Medical Complex at around 10 pm on the night of the incident (February 18). Footage recorded by a security camera installed in a shop located near the crime scene showed how the defendant stalked the victim as she walked. He suddenly attacked her from the back and brought her down to the ground, where he continued punching her and pulling her by the hair. The footage soon went viral on social media networks, raising nationwide condemnation of the “cowardly” act and demands to bring the man to justice.

Less than 48 hours later, a statement issued by the Interior Ministry confirmed that the man had been identified and arrested, in cooperation with the Capital Police Directorate and the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science in the Ministry. The defendant is now facing charges of assault and attempted robbery, and he will stand trial on Thursday before the Fourth High Criminal Court, which recently adjourned the trial to assign a defence attorney through the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry, as per the followed norms and regulations. The court also ordered not to release the man and to keep him in detention until the next session.