How knife attack on nurse in Oldham A&E has ignited conspiracy theories

An attack on a nurse at Royal Oldham hospital this weekend has been met with outrage online – leading to the sharing of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

The victim, a woman in her 50s, is understood to have been working as a nurse in the A&E department when she was stabbed at around 11.30pm on Saturday.

Police have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and said they are not looking for anyone else.

The suspect was allegedly a patient and the incident began with a row over how long it was taking to be seen by a doctor, a witness told MailOnline.

But within hours of a police press release being issued on Sunday, a number of inaccurate claims about the attacker and how the incident was being handled by the authorities were spreading on platforms such as X, without evidence.

Suspect’s identity being hidden

One conspiracy theory being repeated on social media is that the suspect’s identity is being deliberately withheld from the public by the authorities.

One X user wrote: “Since they’re being so hush-hush about who this guy is, I’m calling it – he’s gotta be one of those fake-ass Islamic migrants.

“If he wasn’t his face would be all over the damn place by now.”

Another shared the story of the attack and wrote: “We need to find out who the person is before Keir Starmer gets it covered up.”

He later added: “If anyone knows the identification of the attack who stabbed the nurse we would like to know please.

“Especially their ethnicity. There is way too much covering up going on just lately and we cannot allow it happen.”

Another said: “Absolutely no information on the assailant? Could the Government be concerned about that new phobia they invented?”

Police forces do not issue information about people they have arrested or who are suspected of a crime due to privacy concerns.

Guidance issued following the Leveson Inquiry in 2012 said identifying details should not be issued save in “exceptional and clearly identified circumstances”.

There is no law preventing media organisations from naming individuals but the practice has become extremely infrequent following a number of cases where people have successfully sued for invasion of privacy.

The situation changes once a person has been charged with a crime.

Police will then usually share their name, age, address and details of the charges ahead of a court appearance. The Prime Minister has no involvement in the sharing of this information.

‘Suspect is Muslim’

A number of social media accounts are widely sharing speculation that the attacker in Oldham is Muslim, despite no confirmation that this is true.

One prominent account on X wrote: “The fact the arrested man has not been identified or named means he is NOT a white local man.”

It was shared around 800 times and received 4,700 likes.

Another added: “Anybody fancy a bet on the ethnicity of this sick freak who stabbed a nurse who was trying to assist him in Oldham hospital…?
“100/1 it aint joe bloggs… but we will never know with press censureship witholding information.”

Another shared a meme which said: “Let’s not jump to conclu- aaand it was Muslim”

Police have not shared any details about the ethnicity of either the victim or the alleged attacker, as is usual practice.

These details are likely to be revealed if and when the suspect is charged and appears in court.

The i Paper understands police have been given further time to question the suspect and an update is expected on Monday afternoon.

What have police said?

In a statement, Greater Manchester Police has said the victim suffered “serious injuries” which are believed to be “life-changing”.

Detective Sergeant Craig Roters from our Oldham district said: “This is a serious incident which has left a woman in a critical condition.

“Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues, and we will continue to support them throughout this investigation.

“The local community can expect to see an increase in police presence whilst we carry out enquiries, but they are also there to offer reassurance and answer any questions you may have.

“We know that news of this nature will come as a shock, and if you have any concerns or anything you would like to share, please speak to them.”

Tensions high in Oldham

The incident comes amid increasing tensions in Oldham due to the ongoing row over the scandal of grooming gangs.

It emerged earlier this month that Labour minister Jess Phillips rejected a request from the borough’s council for a government-led inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the town.

The decision led to claims of a cover-up which were amplified by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Labour’s position on the potential need for a national public inquiry into grooming gangs has since shown signs of changing, with Phillips telling Sky News she will “listen” to victims and “nothing is off the table”.