JEDDAH, 16 March 2007 — The two men arrested for attacking staff members of Al-Safwa Hospital earlier this week deny the charges against them, the daily Al-Watan reported yesterday.
The men, who allegedly assaulted staff members after their 71-year-old mother passed away in the hospital, claim the nurses misunderstood them. One of the nurses, a Saudi man, was injured when the men reportedly went on a rampage after hearing that their mother died in the hospital.
The two men also reportedly broke into a room where other nurses had gone for refuge and assaulted the people inside. The men claim they went into the room to apologize. The incident took place on Sunday when the mother was being transferred for a heart condition.
The men claim that the doctor that informed them of their mother’s passing did it in a very provoking manner.
The men also claimed the nurses’ family members, who came in to assault the brothers for their actions, were armed.
“That is not true. The nurses’ families weren’t holding any weapons,” said a police officer interviewed by the paper. “The two brother were simply outraged over their mother’s death.”
Four nurses are following through with their charges against the two men.
