A tragic incident unfolded over the weekend at Essen’s Elizabeth Hospital, where the death of a patient ignited violence among grieving relatives against hospital staff. In a shocking display of aggression, a crowd gathered outside the facility, threatening healthcare workers and physically assaulting them. As authorities classify the attack as a case of clan crime, the incident highlights growing concerns over safety and the strain on Germany's healthcare system amid rising tensions linked to migration and social unrest.
RE: After a patient died in Essen’s Elizabeth Hospital, relatives of the deceased individual beat hospital employees, resulting in minor injuries to five of them over the weekend. The incident is being classified as a case of clan crime, with the investigation focusing on grievous bodily harm and property damage.
After the family member passed away, a large crowd gathered at the hospital and began threatening hospital staff with the “power of the family.”
A nurse who delivered the news of the death was immediately attacked with “punches and kicks,” according to the police report.
According to police, a 41-year-old suspect with Turkish and Lebanese roots was arrested after the incident, but he has already been released.
The managing director of the hospital, Peter Berlin, indicated that an entire team of hospital staff fought to save the injured man’s life in an interview with German newspaper Bild.
“Despite all efforts and resuscitation attempts, the patient unfortunately died,” he stated.
The director stated that there was a “sudden attack by the patient’s relatives on the resuscitation team and other colleagues.” He described the vicious assault as “a turning point,” Berlin said. There was “unprecedented aggression and violence” against hospital employees.
The police report that the family members involved in the incident are well known for various crimes.
As previously reported by Remix News, Germany’s migration crisis has placed a huge burden on Germany’s healthcare system and strained city budgets across the country.
Authorities in Hamburg have paid out almost half a billion euros on medical care for migrants since 2015, according to a parliamentary query by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group in the city’s local parliament conducted in 2022.
Asylum seekers in Hamburg have generated significant costs in recent years, with Alexander Wolf, the AfD parliamentary group spokesman, calling the figure a “huge sum that puts our community of solidarity at risk.”
“Migrants obliged to leave the country must be brought home immediately,” Wolf demanded, insisting such a move was necessary to “relieve our social security funds.”
“If the parent state pays for medical expenses in abundance for all migrants, then it will soon be sick itself,” he added.
The violent attack on hospital staff in Essen is emblematic of broader issues surrounding crime and social dynamics in Germany, particularly concerning migrant communities. Clan crime, often associated with families involved in organized crime, has gained attention as authorities seek to address rising violence and its implications for public safety. This incident also underscores the increasing pressures on healthcare facilities in Germany, which have been strained by the influx of migrants and asylum seekers. As the country navigates these complex social challenges, incidents like this raise critical questions about the safety of medical staff and the impact of demographic changes on public services.