WARNING – DISTURBING CONTENT: The ‘terroristic’ messages, which included threats to rape and behead workers, were sent with an image of surgery staff asking ‘who will die first?’
Sickening emails have been sent to staff at a GP surgery in Manchester asking if they are “ready to be raped on the way home from work?”
The horrifying ‘terroristic’ messages threatening to behead worker were sent last month but police have been unable to trace the culprit and have closed their investigation. The emails demanded that they wear the hijab and in one harrowing image, a picture of staff was sent with a target drawn over their faces with the words ‘Who will die first?”
The surgery in Tameside received the eight emails, some of which were in Arabic and some in English. They arrived between September 1 and September 8 in the inbox of their official NHS email account. The matter was reported to Greater Manchester Police, but they were unable to find out where they were sent from.
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The Manchester Evening News report that the first email, which was written in Arabic, translated as saying: “Why don’t you wear the hijab? How dare you defy the will of God? Do you think he does not see.
“You will die because of this. Your sense of safety will soon be a thing of the past. Let God bear witness against us. Are you ready to be raped on your way home from work?” This same message was later sent again.
A second email, also in Arabic, said: “We will cover your heads with the hijab when we cut them off”, a message that was also repeated. The next one, sent in English, said: “Are you excited to die?” After the photograph of the staff with the crosshairs was sent, a further email said: “Wear the hijab and God will protect you.”
Whilst the final one said in Arabic: “How can you work in healthcare when you’re obese?” The investigation report, compiled by the Practice Manager, said: “This incident has been deeply distressing for staff and has required significant structural and safety changes to practice operations.
“While no further emails have been received since blocking the sender, the impact on staff morale, sense of safety, and daily working patterns remains profound.” It said that it had caused ‘significant anxiety and distress’ among staff who were ‘fearful walking to/from work’ and who had an ‘ongoing concern that threats could be enacted at the practice.’
“The practice, partners and management have provided reassurance, but staff remain unsettled” it said. The matter was reported to police. A spokesperson for GMP said the offender remained ‘unidentified’ and that their enquiry had now been closed.
“Officers investigated reports of malicious communications made at a GP practice in Tameside” the force said in a statement issued yesterday (Wednesday, October 1). An investigation took place and no viable threats were made to staff. With no further lines of enquiry and the offender unidentified, the crime will be closed. The surgery has been updated and advised to report any further suspicious activity.”
A spokesperson for the practice said: “The practice has a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime and abuse of any kind towards our staff, patients or communities. Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected when working in, or accessing, NHS services.
“While we cannot comment on any specific incidents, we want to be clear that discrimination, violence, or harassment has no place in our practice. We will always work with our partners to ensure that those affected are supported and that appropriate action is taken.”
NHS Greater Manchester, the region’s Integrated Care Board, which oversees GP surgeries, issued an identical statement.
