Stephen Hawking Assaulted

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-01-22 10:53pm

Family fears for famous scientist Stephen Hawking
Natalie Clarke
21jan04

THE world's greatest living scientist, Stephen Hawking, was in hospital yesterday under round-the-clock surveillance.

His family fear he is being earmarked by a deranged attacker who might try to sabotage the equipment and medicines that are keeping him alive.
Professor Hawking has pneumonia and has been in hospital since before Christmas.

Yet it is not the bronchial infection, serious in a 62-year-old man of such physical frailty, that is the chief cause of the terrors his family live with each day.

It is that the person intent on doing him grievous harm - and who appears to have succeeded in doing so already on numerous occasions - will go one step too far if not stopped soon.

"We are absolutely terrified as to what will happen next," a family friend said.

"Everyone is devastated -- especially Stephen's children."

Professor Hawking is the author of the international bestseller A Brief History Of Time and is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

For more than three years, Professor Hawking, who is paralysed as a result of motor neurone disease and can speak only through a computerised voice box, has been the victim of a catalogue of accidents.

In November 2000, police launched an investigation after Professor Hawking made a number of visits to the accident and emergency department at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with a variety of injuries he was unwilling to explain.

Once there was a broken arm; another time, he turned up with a broken wrist; on a separate occasion, the doctors were shocked to see him with a large gash on his face; he also arrived with black eyes and a torn lip.

But despite being repeatedly asked, he refused to divulge exactly how the injuries had come about, except to say that on one occasion he had fallen out of his wheelchair.

Police spoke to Professor Hawking's colleagues at Cambridge University and staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

They also wrote to him and left phone messages asking if he required their help, but were met with silence.

As a result, they had no option but to drop their investigation.

But they now want to question his second wife, Elaine.

The interview would be part of a new investigation launched into yet more injuries sustained by Professor Hawking.

His most recent inju ries have been knocks and bruises.

Professor Hawking's health has again failed him, and though his friends say he is doing well, they remain desperately worried.

Professor Hawking's family is convinced he is the victim of assault, and believe his assailant may be suffering from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Its sufferers harm others to draw attention to themselves.

They also believe it is probably someone close to him, but say they are powerless to do anything because Professor Hawking has been, up to now, resolute in his refusal to identify his attacker.

"The assaults just keep on happening and the family do not know if they will ever end," a family friend said.

The heck? Syndrome my arse...don't try to explain off that sort of act by saying it's a mental syndrome. Screwed up in the head, yes, but a medical syndrom? No. Heck, I don't care if you have a syndrome or not, you still need to be smacked with the book if you assault someone like Dr. Hawking, who has no way of defending himself.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2004-01-22 10:58pm

I'm speechless.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-01-22 10:58pm

I hope they catch this asshole, and lock him in a place where nothing, not even insects, will hear his tortured screams.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-01-22 11:00pm

Big man, going after a elderly man who's already been crippled by a major neurological disorder.

If he wants attention for assaulting the elderly, he sould go after Buzz Aldrin. After all, he'll get all the attention he wants after Aldrin kicks his ass.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-01-22 11:00pm

This is unconscionable. I hope Professor Hawking reveals something about his assailant, and the police nab the fucker. Poor guy. Who the FUCK would do this kind of shit? Attack a man in a fucking wheelchair.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-01-22 11:01pm

There was another article I saw today detailing the accusations made against Prof. Hawking's wife. Apparently former nurses are claiming that the wife is incredibly abusive.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-01-22 11:02pm

wtf? goddamn, i just don't understand how someone could assault a guy that's barely able to lift a muscle. . . . . .fame or not that's just not right.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2004-01-22 11:03pm

That syndrome is a real thing. Of course the people with it still deserve harsh punisment. The sad thing is they often hurt children, their own children.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-01-22 11:07pm

I actually do know how to dress my links

A NURSE who looked after Stephen Hawking described yesterday some of the shocking injuries she says his wife inflicted on him.

The carer said the motor neurone sufferer was left with gashes, broken bones and bruises.

She too was threatened and abused by Elaine, claimed the nurse.

She also alleged that new carers were put through an "initiation" by Elaine - being called into the academic's bedroom at night to find him and his naked wife having sex.

Two particular injuries suffered by the Cambridge University mathematics professor - author of A Brief History of Time - were recalled by the nurse.

She claimed: "I remember coming in one day and he had a cut on his throat. She must have shaved him very harshly. It wasn't a shaving nick. It was about three inches long.

"Another time she slammed his wrist down on his wheelchair and his wrist broke.

"That actual moment was seen by a nurse but she was given a very hard time.

"Elaine was very jealous of her, she was attractive. If you were a threat at all, that was her worry."

Last night Cambridgeshire police said: "We have been approached by a person with fresh information which we are studying."

An inquiry in 2001 into alleged assaults on multi-millionaire Prof Hawking, 62, was dropped after he and his wife were interviewed.

This week, the Daily Mirror revealed police had launched a new investigation into mysterious injuries suffered by him.

Officers hope to speak to him after he completes his recovery in Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, from an unrelated bronchial illness.

Yesterday the unnamed nurse, who was part of a round-the-clock care team for several years, recalled seeing some of the first round of alleged assaults.

She said: "Elaine makes it very difficult for the family and anyone who is there. We all witnessed assaults, all of us.

"She brought you in on the abuse. If she was hurting him and you didn't do anything, she had two people who she was controlling.

"Everyone was in fear of the woman and in fear of causing problems for Stephen.

"There was one incident I particularly remember when Stephen and I were threatened by her."

The nurse threatened to tell the police and Prof Hawking took legal advice and discussed getting a restraining order against his wife.

But the couple made up and the nurse was warned not to mention the incident again, she said.

THE current inquiry was triggered in August after Prof Hawking was left stranded in his wheelchair in the garden of his Cambridge home on the hottest day of the year.

He suffered severe heatstroke and sunburn. His nursing staff were so suspicious they contacted police.

This week Prof Hawking has denied being assaulted and said: "There is absolutely no substance to the reports."

However, the nurse who spoke to the Mirror claimed: "There used to be strange drug errors that occurred. Strange things happened regularly.

"It was all recorded to protect you, because if anything happened to him the nurses would end up being blamed.

"When his femur was broken, the nurses were blamed. So they used to record things to protect themselves."

She described the "initiation" for new carers, who would be summoned to the professor's bedroom to find him and second wife Elaine having sex.

"She would often be doing some strange show. She would be naked on top of him. At the time, I thought I had made some terrible mistake. It was afterwards I was told that happened to quite a few people.

"It was to make it clear that they had a sexual relationship. It was an initiation."

Prof Hawking has regularly attended Addenbrooke's A&E with unexplained injuries such as a broken wrist, gashes to the face and a cut lip.

The nurse added: "When he came in once, the staff had to ask the wife to leave because she was so aggressive."

The professor's care team had to be protected, said the nurse.

"The staff had to be safe. So I went to speak to the university, because I thought we were really at risk all the time."

The nurse claimed the secretary to his department said: "He brings so much money into the university that they will do what he says."

The nurse went on: "He was saying 'I don't want anything done' so nothing was done.

"The university was trying to do something about it, but was too worried about losing his backing.

"When I left, I was the only one who was saying there was anything wrong going on. Everybody was so frightened.

"When he is hurt, Elaine is not really allowed near him and he is cross with her. It's all very odd. She normally goes off to some retreat and then she comes back and they kiss and make up."

Prof Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone - a muscle-wasting disease - at the age of 20 while still a student.

His three grown-up children by his first wife are devoted to him.

They are said to be worried by the new developments and one source said they were backing the police inquiry.

Officers have spoken to the nurse. A police spokesman said: "Arrangements have been made for this person to be interviewed in Cambridge."

The nurse lives abroad and police plan to fly her back for a meeting as part of their current investigation.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-01-22 11:08pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I actually do know how to dress my links

Thanks Alyrium..

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2004-01-22 11:11pm

Wow. Whoever's doing this needs to contract Lou Gherig's disease, then get beaten by a merciless Gay Redneck who grew up in the most fundamentalist lifestyle possible. See how they like having frustrations taken out on them...

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-01-22 11:18pm

They should stick a vaginal pear in his wife's vagina

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-01-22 11:20pm

Only a man with the genius of Dr. Hawking can think of the right thing to do to this guy.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-01-22 11:28pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:Big man, going after a elderly man who's already been crippled by a major neurological disorder.

Seriously. What a jackass. I hope they catch the bastard responsible for this, although I do wonder why Professor Hawking hasn't explained what's been going on.

I hope he's alright, though.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-01-23 12:05am

Uhm...don't know how I screwed up that link dressing...

Someone mind fixing it?

Oh, and as to that report that Aly posted: That woman needs to be stuck in an asylum...the old kind with the padded room and straight jackets.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-01-23 01:09am

What the fuck? Even if he wasn't famous, you shouldn't go around fucking with guys in wheelchairs.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-01-23 01:32am

This just makes me angry.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2004-01-23 01:48am

For a second there I thought that it might be some fucked up fundie, but after reading the article the heavy implication is that it is his wife. Sad. Shouldn't happen to such a great man.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-23 02:00am

This must be terribly humiliating for Stephen. :\

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-01-23 02:20am

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I hope they catch this asshole, and lock him in a place where nothing, not even insects, will hear his tortured screams.

Even better - be forced to listen to/watch 'A Brief History of Time' OVER and OVER.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-01-23 03:45am

Unfortunately, I have heard many people of non-too-sound body being assaulted by muggers in the street other than Dr. Hawkings' experience. It's a sad sign of the times when the disabled are picked on as easy targets, though if this is the doctor's wife then she does need medical attention.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-01-23 05:44am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:... though if this is the doctor's wife then she does need medical attention.

No, she needs a beating.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-01-23 05:53am

Darth Wong wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:... though if this is the doctor's wife then she does need medical attention.
No, she needs a beating.

By "medical attention" I mean vivisection of the brain so her non-functional mind can enlighten science and take one more psycho off the streets.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2004-01-23 12:45pm

I hope she gets into an accident and is left paralyzed herself.

Tribun · Post by **Tribun** » 2004-01-23 12:48pm

That makes me angry big time.