Hospital Changed Identity of Bondi Shooting Victim Amid Patient Safety Concerns

The NSW health minister says hospital staff acted with good intentions when they changed a Jewish patient’s name to ‘Karen Jones.’

A man wearing an Israeli national flag attends a memorial for the victims of the terrorist mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 21, 2025. Audrey Richardson/Getty Images

Rosalia Shikhverg was one of dozens of victims hospitalised after the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach terrorist mass shooting that targeted a Jewish celebration.

Shikhverg was wounded by shrapnel as two gunmen opened fire on the first night of Hannukah, killing 15 people and maiming 40.

But Shikhverg, who was being treated at Liverpool Hospital, was stunned to learn staff had changed her name to “Karen Jones” on the admission paperwork.

The name was used on her documents, hospital band, and even her medication.

The incident has left Shikhverg with concerned about the safety of Jewish patients in Sydney’s hospitals, and follows an incident in February last year when two nurses were stood down over online comments boasting about previously killing Israeli patients.

In addressing media, New South Wales (NSW) Health Minister Ryan Park said the recent decision was made by hospital staff in the best interests of the patient.

“This was an issue with great intent from the staff in a very pretty hostile and difficult environment they were trying to make sure that person was protected in any way shape or form they could,” he said.

“Was it communicated with her and her partner? Well no it wasn’t.

“We acknowledge that could have been done better.”

Park has vowed to meet with the patient’s family.

“We were dealing with good intent at a very, very challenging time for our state and a very, very challenging time for the Jewish community,” he said.

“In a few weeks time, me and the secretary will be meeting with them, I want to hear first-hand from them if there is an opportunity to make any changes to the way we do that.

“What we could have done more is communicate with the patient more ... and that’s what should have happened, but I want to say our health staff were doing what they thought was best for that individual patient at the time.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns also acknowleged the incident.

“Clearly it was a mistake, the patient should have been asked about the designation and we will learn about it for the future,” he said.

Minns said the designation of a different name was “not uncommon” in hospitals, but said he didn’t believe other Jewish patients had been given alternative names.

Last year, Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir were stood down and charged after boasting about harming Jewish patients during a video session with Israeli influencer on the Chatroulette app.

The pair worked at the Bankstown Hospital, which along with Liverpool Hospital, fall under the South Western Sydney Local Health District.

The pair are currently before the courts.

The Epoch Times contacted the South Western Sydney Local Health District for comment.