Indian-origin nurse attacked in Florida: ‘Face broken, may lose both eyes’

The accused Stephen Scantlebury was presented in court on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty.

A patient brutally attacked an Indian-origin nurse at a Florida hospital where she worked.

The accused, Stephen Scantlebury (33), has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and faces a hate crime enhancement after repeatedly assaulting the nurse inside a third-floor patient room at Palms West Hospital.

The victim, Leelamma Lal (67), is currently in intensive care at St. Mary’s Medical Centre in West Palm Beach, while Scantlebury remains in police custody without bail.

According to a statement by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, a team was dispatched to the scene, following which they determined that the male patient committed “aggravated battery” against the nurse, leaving her critically injured with broken bones in her face. “The suspect, Stephen Scantlebury, born on April 30, 1991, has been arrested and is currently undergoing medical clearance. He faces charges of attempted murder,” they added.

“Hate crime enhancements, if proven, can result in harsher penalties upon conviction. They highlight the motive behind the defendant’s actions and their broader impact on the community,” the statement continued, as per PEOPLE.

The accused was presented in court on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty.

The police in their affidavit claimed that “essentially every bone in the victim’s face is broken, and the victim is likely to lose the use of both eyes.” Eyewitnesses, while speaking to investigators, explained that Lal, who has been a nurse at Palms West for over two decades, went into Scantlebury’s room to check on him when he started punching her, breaking the bones in her face. He then fled the hospital. Sheriff’s Sergeant Beth Newcomb revealed the accused confessing: “Indians are bad. I just beat the s*** out of an Indian doctor,” as per The Palm Beach Post.

The incident has been reported just a few days after another similar instance from the UK. Achamma Cherian, a 57-year-old Indian-origin nurse, was stabbed by a patient with scissors while on duty at the acute medical unit of Royal Oldham Hospital in Manchester. The nurse, a mother of two, received serious injuries, which the police “believed to be life-changing.” The accused, identified as Rumon Haque, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder and for possession of a bladed article in a public place.