US man attacks Indian-origin nurse; breaks almost every bone in face

Indian-origin nurse, Leelamma Lal, 67, was brutally assaulted by a psychiatric patient at Palms West Hospital in Florida, United States. She suffered severe facial fractures.

The accused -- 33-year-old Stephen Scantlebury -- has been charged with attempted second-degree murder along with hate crime enhancement due to racist remarks made during the attack.

Lal was attending to Scantlebury, who was a patient under the Florida Baker Act, which means he was involuntarily hospitalised after a mental health crises.

As per the arrest affidavit in a report by CNBC, Scantlebury violentely attacked Lal, punching her repeatedly and breaking nearly every bone in her face. He fled the scene after the attack but was swiftly apprehended.

Cindy Joseph, Lal's daughter, described the injuries that Lal had suffered. Joseph said, according to a report by NDTV, "She had subdural and sporadic bleeding of the brain, the right side of her face was fully fractured... She was intubated and unconscious, a lot of bruising in her face and swelling in her eyes. I didn't really recognise her."

Following his arrest, during questioning Scatlebury allegedly confessed and said, “Indians are bad. I just beat the s*** out of an Indian doctor.” Based on this admission, prosecutors have applied hate crime enhancements which could significantly increase his penalties if convicted.

According to the CNBC report, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office explained, “Hate crime enhancements, if proven, can lead to harsher sentences as they underline the motive behind the attack and its broader impact on the community.”

During a pre-trial detention hearing, Scantlebury's wife testified that in the days following the attack he was experiencing paranoia. He believed that their home was bugged and he was under surveillance. As per the NDTV report, the judge denied a request to transfer Scantlebury to a mental health facility, calling it "premature."

The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare professionals and raised concerns over their safety. The Indian Nurses Association of South Florida, condemning the incident, has demanded stricter security measures and tougher penalties. A petition with the same claims has received over 10,000 signatures in three days as per the report.

One of the petition's organisers, Dr. Cheryl Thomas-Harcum said, "Leela devoted her life to this profession, and at the tail end of her career, she had to endure something so vicious."

While Dr. Manju Samuel, the Advisory board chair of Indian Nurses Association of South Florida stated, "There are no specific laws to protect healthcare staff. That deficiency must be addressed."

Lal is currently in intensive care at St Mary's Medical Centre on ventilator support. She may lose vision in both eyes given the extent of her injuries, according to her doctors.