Nurse Charged with Fraud for Allegedly Falsely Recording Vaccinating a Teen

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COVID vaccine fraud

A nurse who allegedly falsely recorded administering a COVID-19 vaccine to a teenager has been charged with fraud.

Western Australian police arrested and charged 51-year old Christina Hartmann Benz with fraudulently recording that the 15-year old boy had been given the injection when it was allegedly never administered.

The story so far

Ms Hartmann Benz is reported to have sought permission from her employer, the owner of a private clinic, to vaccinate family and friends, and about 25 people booked appointments asking specifically for her to administer their jabs.

The clinic’s owner is said to have observed her inject the 15-year old boy, and that although she filled the syringe with the vaccine and inserted it into the boy’s arm, she did not depress it.

Police were contacted after the clinic allegedly noticed that the discarded syringe still had the liquid inside, despite the nurse claiming to have administered the drug.

It is also alleged Ms Hartmann Benz recorded that the child had been given the vaccine by a different staff member.

The nurse was then arrested and charged with the fraud offence.

Released on strict bail conditions

The nurse was released on bail on strict conditions – including that she no work as a registered nurse or in any capacity to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

She is also not permitted to contact patients or former co-workers at the clinics where she worked, except for her husband and parents.

Severe penalties

Western Australia Health Minister Roger Cook warned that authorities would “come down hard” on this type of behaviour, and that those who flout the rules will face “severe penalties”.

“We’re on the lookout for any of this sort of behaviour, and if it’s going on it’s just despicable and has to stop,” he remarked

NSW Doctor facing disciplinary action over fake vaccination certificates

Ms Hartmann Benz is not the only medical practitioner alleged to have attempted to assist patients in circumventing Australia’s tough vaccination rules.

A listener of radio broadcaster Ray Hadley’s talkback show called 2GB last month to report Doctor John Evans for allegedly issuing fake vaccination certificates.

After making inquiries, Lake Macquarie Police referred the doctor to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, which is currently investigating the allegation.

The doctor has not been charged with any offences.

Bribes for health workers

In the past several weeks, mainstream media reported both a growing number of health staff and GPs have reported being offered bribes to create fake vaccine certificates, and a rise in the number of people creating their own fake certificates via technology available through ‘underground’ social media sites and apps.

It simply highlights the lengths people will go to, in an attempt to get around strict public health policies to either delay having the Covid-19 vaccine, or to avoid having it altogether.

While the government has made ‘vaccination exemptions’ available, these are only able to be granted in a limited number of cases by GPs if a patient presents certain existing health conditions that would make the vaccination a threat to their health.

Stories of adverse side-effects from the vaccine are being played down despite a growing body of evidence around the world that suggests the vaccines are not ‘safe for all’.

And unlike many other countries, Australia has not implemented a compensation scheme for individuals who are affected by adverse side-effects now or in the future, although it has provided indemnity for the pharmaceutical companies, should they be sued successfully for ‘serious side effects’.

What this means is that if someone does need to seek compensation, without a government compensation scheme they need to go through the expensive, lengthy and stressful process of launching a civil action suit, to prove their case, and have it determined by the Courts.

Punitive-based Health Policy has serious side effects

Rather than acknowledge or try to address the concerns or ‘vaccine hesitancy’ of these Australians, State Governments have instead continued their punitive approach, encroaching on the fundamental principles of democracy, encouraging the ‘anti-vaxxers’ label, and suggesting that those people don’t want to be vaccinated, are ‘socially irresponsible’, resulting in many feeling ostracised.

The idea of the ‘return-to-normal’ or the ‘return of freedoms’ has, for some months, been contingent on vaccination rates which keep climbing.

In New South Wales alone we’ve seen the vaccination target climb from 70% double-dosed to the new target, which is now 95%. Freedoms for the unvaccinated, originally promised on December 1 will not return until mid-December. People are feeling increasingly pressured to make a decision they don’t feel they have sufficient information for, in order to give ‘informed consent’.

However, the tough Government stance continues with the latest push to vaccinate children as young as 12 years old along with the commencement of the ‘booster’ rollout which will be available to anyone who had their second jab 6 months or more ago.

Some schools are beginning to implement vaccination policies too, which leaves parents with little option if they want their children to complete their education within the face-to-face school setting.

Desperate Australians turning to crime

These state government public health policies which are based on mandates and coercion, contradict the Federal Government’s position that vaccinations would remain voluntary and are in complete disregard of fundamental freedoms.

To date, this draconian approach may have helped to ease the spread of the Delta strain, but it has also created a number of other very serious problems. It has fueled deep social division, created ‘two classes of citizens’, incited discrimination, and led to a rise in illegal activity, which has the potential to turn traditionally law-abiding citizens into criminals.

The question needs to be asked whether such policy has been to the benefit or the detriment of our community, and whether, it needs to be continued, particularly in light of the fact that Australia has now reached an 80% vaccination rate, which is higher than many other countries.

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Author

Sonia Hickey

Sonia Hickey is a freelance writer, magazine journalist, and owner of 'Woman with Words'. She has a strong interest in social justice and is a member of the Sydney Criminal Lawyers® content team. Sonia is the winner of the Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards, Spring 2022.

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