Anaesthetist convicted of murder – 13.5 years imprisonment
A court in Frankfurt issued a verdict against a doctor who administered contaminated anaesthetic to children in 2021. A four-year-old girl died, and two other children miraculously survived.
Verdict in the case of tragic poisoning in a dental surgery
The Regional Court in Frankfurt convicted on Thursday (01.10.) a 69-year-old anaesthetist to 13.5 years imprisonment for murder and attempted murder – reports dw.com. The doctor administered contaminated propofol to children at a surgery in Kronberg in Hesse in September 2021.
In the opinion of presiding judge Alexander El Duwaika, the man deliberately concealed the crimes committed. "This was a particularly complex case, which required considerable effort from the court," the judge said, adding that during the trial "in the case of many witnesses emotions ran high."
Contaminated anaesthetic
The anaesthetist repeatedly drew propofol from the same bottle and administered it to an adult woman and four children, resulting in significant contamination of the preparation. The doctor made flagrant breaches of hygiene standards and worked without the required support staff.
A four-year-old girl, who was the last patient that day, died during the night on the treatment chair. A boy and another girl required connection to a ventilator at Frankfurt University Clinic – they miraculously survived.
Negligence and attempted concealment
Despite the children's critical condition, the anaesthetist sent three of them home. For many hours he reassured the mother and grandmother of the four-year-old girl, repeatedly stating that hospital referral was not necessary. He behaved similarly after her death – he continued working at another surgery in Bensheim the very next day.
The judge addressed the defendant directly: "What on earth were you thinking?". He asked why an experienced doctor did not call an ambulance or transfer the children to hospital.
History of previous incidents
El Duwaik pointed to other incidents in the defendant's past. In 2019, a patient of this doctor died. During the first trial, other former patients came forward – one woman suffered multi-organ failure in November 2020 following anaesthesia administered by this specialist.
Second instance after cassation
Following the girl's death, in 2024 the man was convicted in the first instance to 10.5 years imprisonment. The prosecution filed a cassation appeal with the Federal Court of Justice, demanding a life sentence.
Prosecutor Constanze Jung stated on Thursday that the verdict is just: "Above all, after five years we have finally obtained an answer to the key question – why the defendant failed to transport the children to hospital. The answer is: because he wanted to conceal his previous errors in treatment."
Mitigation of sentence on account of age
The court used the possibility of mitigation instead of imposing a life sentence, which in cases of murder is normally the rule. The court took into account partial admission of guilt and the defendant's lack of connection to criminal circles. The judge also drew attention to the doctor's advanced age – the sentence imposed could in practice mean lifelong imprisonment for him.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)