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The stabbing, which took place in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall located in [[Al Reem Island]], and was caught on tape in a routine surveillance video.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vinograd|first1=Cassandra|title=U.S. Teacher Ibolya Ryan Fatally Stabbed in Abu Dhabi Shopping Mall|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-teacher-ibolya-ryan-fatally-stabbed-abu-dhabi-shopping-n260496|accessdate=3 December 2014|publisher=NBC|date=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
The stabbing, which took place in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall located in [[Al Reem Island]], and was caught on tape in a routine surveillance video.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vinograd|first1=Cassandra|title=U.S. Teacher Ibolya Ryan Fatally Stabbed in Abu Dhabi Shopping Mall|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-teacher-ibolya-ryan-fatally-stabbed-abu-dhabi-shopping-n260496|accessdate=3 December 2014|publisher=NBC|date=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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The [[United Arab Emirates]] have classified the murder as a "personal terrorist attack."<ref name=Fitch7>{{cite news|last1=Fitch|first1=Asa|title=U.A.E. Classifies Killing of U.S. Teacher ‘Personal Terrorist Act’ Suspect in Ibolya Ryan’s Stabbing Was Looking for ‘Anyone Who Looks Foreign,’ Security Official Says|accessdate=8 December 2014|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=7 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==Incident== |
==Incident== |
Revision as of 11:26, 8 December 2014
Ibolya Ryan was a Romanian-American kindergarten teacher murdered in Abu Dhabi on the 1st of December 2014. The murder was committed by an attacker unknown to the victim who, on the same day, planted a bomb at the home of an Arab-American physician. These attacks, taking place in the wake of,= "a spate of recent attacks on Westerners" in Saudi Arabia, attracted international coverage and raised concerns in the international security and business communities.[1] [2][3]
The stabbing, which took place in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall located in Al Reem Island, and was caught on tape in a routine surveillance video.[4]
The United Arab Emirates have classified the murder as a "personal terrorist attack."[5]
Incident
On the 2nd of December 2014, several media and news sources spread an update about an American teacher who was stabbed to death in a ladies' toilet at an Abu Dhabi shopping mall, in a slaying apparently carried out by an assailant dressed head-to-toe in a traditional black robe and gloves. The suspect's entry and exit from the scene, while clad in a black abaya worn by many women in the Gulf Arab region, was caught on surveillance footage released by authorities, who left open the possibility the bulky figure could have been a man in disguise.[6]
Abu Dhabi Police said in a statement released on Wednesday 3 December "Investigations are still under way to identify the suspect's identity and gender. Witnesses reported that the culprit was fully covered wearing an abaya, black gloves and face cover."[6] Abu Dhabi Security Media Department at the Ministry of Interior posted a video on its official Youtube channel, showing CCTV footage of the suspect, dubbed the “Reem Island Ghost”, who stabbed the American kindergarten teacher Ibolya on Monday afternoon on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi.[7] On the CCTV footage, people on the scene can be seen reacting to the killing. One mother with a young child can be seen hurrying him away while security guards move towards the corridor. People appear to be alerted to something happening in the toilets and while a security guard moves along the corridor into them, the suspect moves towards the elevators.[8] The video then shows the assailant fleeing the scene following the crime that took place inside the washroom of a shopping mall, wearing a black abaya, black gloves and the face-covering veil known as niqab.[7]
Police said the victim was stabbed to death with a "sharp tool" following an argument in a women's restroom. On the surveillance footage, the robed suspect is seen stepping off an elevator, briefly interacting with a security guard, then taking a newspaper before walking toward the restroom. Some 90 minutes later, the suspected attacker runs back into the lobby as shoppers scatter, shakes off a woman who tries to stop the suspect, and boards an elevator to a parking garage before fleeing. The tape ends with footage of a bloody trail of footprints leading from one of the restroom stalls.[6]
In the morning of Thursday 4 December, news sources mentioned that Abu Dhabi Police was able to catch the killer. Later during the day, General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior in UAE, said that the security and police forces arrested the suspected “Niqabi” woman for the brutal murder of the American teacher. He emphasized that the suspect was identified in less than 24 hours, and arrested in less than 48 hours. He explained that after committing her first crime, the “Niqabi” suspect went to another building located at the Abu Dhabi Corniche where she planted a primitive bomb on the doorstep of an Egyptian American doctor’s house. The police forces were able to dismantle the bomb at the right time before it was detonated.[9]
Sheikh Saif described the crime as “a slap to every noble human value that the UAE cherishes- all of which are derived from the teachings of Islam and the genuine Arab heritage.” He stressed that the UAE vigorously defends such civilized values both on its own soil and outside of its borders, and expressed his deep sorrow to witness such crimes in a country that is characterized by security and safety.[9]
The Security Media Department posted a dramatic Youtube video explaining the details of the crime which included images taken from CCTV. The video also highlighted the search and inspection procedures conducted by the police and security forces, which eventually led to the arrest of the suspect and solved the mystery behind the crime.[10] There are also shots showing the same white SUV that the suspect was seen driving from the scene of the crime. Blood can be seen on the steering wheel and a black suitcase - identical to the one she allegedly carried to the doctor's apartment - are also shown in the police video.[8]
In the 4th of December video, the suspect is also seen heading towards the doctor's home with a small black suitcase. A security guard said he saw her enter and then leave quickly. The bomb was spotted when the doctor's son was going to mosque in the evening to pray and noticed the strange object in front of the house. Colonel Rashid Bourshid, head of the criminal investigation department, said: 'The doctor who was targeted with the bomb, 46-year-old MH, informed the security guard about the strange package in front of his door. The guard in turn informed the police who rushed to the spot and evacuated the site. They dismantled the bomb and identified its primitive components that included small gas cylinders, a lighter, glue, and nails to cause maximum injuries when detonated.'[8]
Victims
Ryan was a Romanian-born US citizen. She was a mother of 11-year-old twins and an older daughter. She self-described as a Hungarian, born and raised in Romania, who taught in four countries including the United States over the past 15 years. She and her husband move to Abu Dhabi with their 3 children about 8 years before her death, and subsequently divorced.[11][12]
References
- ^ Fitch, Asa (4 December 2014). "Woman Held for Abu Dhabi Killing of U.S. Teacher". Wall Street Journa;. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Lackey, Katherine (3 December 2014). "American teacher murdered in Abu Dhabi mall". USA Today. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Cornish, Audie (5 December 2014). "Murder Of American Teacher In Abu Dhabi Shocks Nation". National Public Radio. NPR. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ Vinograd, Cassandra (3 December 2014). "U.S. Teacher Ibolya Ryan Fatally Stabbed in Abu Dhabi Shopping Mall". NBC. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Fitch, Asa (7 December 2014). "U.A.E. Classifies Killing of U.S. Teacher 'Personal Terrorist Act' Suspect in Ibolya Ryan's Stabbing Was Looking for 'Anyone Who Looks Foreign,' Security Official Says". Wall Street Journal.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ a b c American teacher stabbed to death in restroom of Abu Dhabi mall | Reuters
- ^ a b Abu Dhabi Police Security Media - Security Media Releases CCTV Footage of Suspect who Stabbed American Woman on Reem Island
- ^ a b c Police arrest 'killer in a burqa' who stabbed American teacher Ibolya Ryan in Abu Dhabi | Daily Mail Online
- ^ a b Abu Dhabi Police Security Media - Saif bin Zayed : The “Al Reem Ghost” in Police Custody
- ^ عملية إلقاء القبض على المنقبة - SBZ - YouTube
- ^ http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/users/ibolya-ryan
- ^ "Ibolya Ryan, Killed in Abu Dhabi, Loved Teaching". Wall Street Journal. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.