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, 21, 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.
New evidence casts doubt over allegations of Yeshiva student’s alcoholism
This article is in regards to the recent posting requsting readers say Tehilim
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, 21, 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.
YN
This article is the third article release by the Australian Jewish News on the story. Initially, they took for granted {one can only assume for the purpose of making a Chillul Hashem} that this Bochur was drunk beyond himself and must have gotten himself hurt. A second article came out yesterday, after the newspaper was blasted by many individual saying that it could be possible that he wasn’t drunk but was still highly probable. The third came out later that evening saying that “new” evidence was uncovered that might prove that this Bochur was not in fact drunk, but they still maintain that it is possible.
The Jewish News should be embarrassed to publish such slanderous lies and should be sued for defamation.
Let’s make a few facts perfectly clear:
1. There was no “new” evidence to suggest this. Most of the findings, besides the toxicology results, were discovered by Friday. The fact that his bag was found twenty five minutes away from his person was quite indicative of the fact that he was assaulted. The blood test results prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that this Bochur was sober.
2. The nature of his injuries do not suggest an accident or personal injury. The injuries were hemorrhaging inside of his brain and a jaw injury while the remainder of his body {including his neck} remained unscathed.
3. There is no evidence in Yeshiva that he fell down once he arrived. The ambulance drivers maintain that although he “reeked of alcohol” he was examined to be fine.
4. The police in Bondi have every reason to suggest that there was no foul play. There has been an upsurge of antisemitic attacks in recent weeks, including an Israeli who was similarly clobbered over the head, an elderly Holocaust survivor who’s body was discovered in a dumpster, a young Jewish man beaten next to his car this past Saturday night, and not allowing this to be construed as antisemitism would work well for the police department. Additionally, the ambulance drivers nearly caused a fatality in their dropping an incapacitated person alone on a doorstep and the impending lawsuit would be a tremendous blow to the department.
Sydney
The Bochur’s name is Nitzan Ben Leah
a sydney bochur
the Anzac Bridge is a 20 min drive from yeshiva, and the parmedic should be sued for negligence,
DBK
I’m suprised to hear that a Paramedic dropped the bochur off at the Yeshiva. I understand that by law or NSW Ambulance policy they only transport a patient to hospital, otherwise if they’re fine they don’t transport them anywhere at all. That part of the story doesn’t add up to me. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ll ask my friend that works there.
Also acording to very basic physics, It’s possible for one to attain a barin haemorrage from a fall, but a BLACK EYE makes no sense at all. I believe this bochur was assulted and robbed. His bag was found 20 miles from Bondi, which futhermore brings weight to an assult- robbery. Let’s hope the cops get down to the bottom of this shortly.
Get well Nitzan!!
Boruch
B”H
Sorry to hear about Nitzan Ben Leah’s suffering. A refuah shelaima!
I hope these perpetrators meet true justice at the hands of Elokim, NOW!
Sydney Chossid
DBK- Twenty minutes, not twenty miles! It’s only about four miles and at that time of night can be done in ten minutes if you take the cross city tunnel.
Concerned Sydney parent.
It is 15 minutes from Bondi to the Anzac Bridge where his bag was discovered.
Sydney Chossid, are you sugesting that Nitzan dropped his bag there on his way back from the chabad house in Hall St?
Nitzan is a very responsible bochur who works very hard as a mashgiach to support himself.
This looks to me like an assult/robbery and now a whitewash PLUS total loshon hora against the bochrim who live in the dorm.
Sydney Chossid
Not suggesting that at all… just noting the difference in distances cited… 20 miles, 25 minute, 20 minutes and now 15.
themostimportant
The main thing is that he get a complete refuah sheleimah!
DBK
SYDNEY CHOSSID, your a bored soul. Learn some mathematics and you’ll figure out miles vs minutes!! Anyway say tehillim for the bochur, NITZAN ben LEAH.
SDR
Is this the same Nitzan Zerach who spent last year in Montreal?
Refuah Shleimah!!