Friday 26 January 2007

Evidence Casts Doubt Over Yeshiva Student's Reported Drunken Accident

I can't believe this... I have just read the article below from the Australian jewish News. I feel that it leaves a lot of unanswered questions and I can't help but think there is something strange going on here...



New evidence has cast serious doubt over police allegations that an Israeli yeshiva student's brain haemorrhage was due to a "drunken accident".

Nitzan Zerach, a student at Sydney's Yeshiva Centre, was hospitalised last Thursday with a brain haemorrhage and facial injuries.

A police spokesperson told the AJN late on Monday: "New facts have come to light and we are keeping an open mind."

Police had twice previously confirmed to the AJN they had no evidence to suggest Zerach was assaulted, despite claims to that effect by his friends and colleagues at the Yeshiva Centre, who said he did not drink alcohol and that his facial injuries were a result of an assault.

Police viewed video footage on Monday at the Yeshiva Centre - also sighted by the AJN - which shows Zerach returning to the Flood Street campus just before 2am last Thursday morning.

He is clearly struggling with his footing and stops to vomit on entry to the building. As he makes his way down the stairs, it is possible to see the scarring around Zerach's eye - apparent proof that he was in fact assaulted before he returned home.

This is part of the new evidence that has led police to cast doubt on their initial belief that Zerach was involved in a "drunken accident" inside the building.

"The alcohol question is in fact in question," a police spokesman told the AJN, adding that the case was still under investigation.

"It is an open question and reports that he was drunk may or may not be true. We're keeping an open mind."

Zerach's bag was also found near the Anzac Bridge, further suggesting that he was both assaulted and robbed.

Zerach closed the Chabad house for Israelis, where he volunteered for Rabbi Alon Hazi, late last Wednesday night in Hall Street, Bondi Beach, about a 20-minute walk from Flood Street.

It now appears that he was assaulted on his way home and could have been left lying in the street for almost an hour and a half before a passerby who saw him called police around 1.30am.

An ambulance arrived at around 1.50am and escorted Zerach into the building. However, paramedics did not detect any serious injuries at the time and did not hand Zerach over to any Yeshiva staff.

He made it to his dorm, passed out and woke up around 11am, when he was found by a fellow Yeshiva student staggering around the building with massive wounds to his head.

It was then that Hatzolah and an ambulance was called, and he was taken into intensive care at St Vincent's Hospital.

A hospital blood test reportedly showed that he had no alcohol in his system, further dispelling allegations he was involved in a "drunken accident".

Police are urging the passerby who found Zerach to contact them on (02) 9365 9649.



His friends have said he does not drink alcohol - the blood test has proven he had no alcohol in his system, so I guess that pretty much rules out the first claim by police that he was ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

.... Just another day ....

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