Berlin court convicts palliative care doctor of 15 patient murders
A 41-year-old German palliative care doctor has been convicted in Berlin of killing 15 seriously ill patients.
Berlin court convicts palliative care doctor of 15 patient murders
A Berlin court delivered its verdict on Wednesday in the murder trial against a 41-year-old palliative care doctor. The German physician was accused of killing 15 seriously ill patients between September 2021 and July 2024. The prosecution had sought the maximum penalty: life imprisonment, a finding of particularly serious guilt, subsequent preventative detention, and a lifelong ban from practising as a doctor.
According to the indictment, the doctor injected patients with a lethal drug mixture during home visits without medical justification and without their knowledge or consent. Twelve women and three men aged between 25 and 94 are said to have died in this manner. All were severely ill, but according to the prosecution, their death was not imminent. Relatives testified in court that some of the patients still had plans and wanted to live.
Several fires are said to have been set to cover up the crimes. The doctor worked in outpatient palliative care in Berlin, where medical teams support seriously ill people through pain relief and improvement of quality of life.
The defendant had been in investigative custody since August 2024. For nearly two years he remained silent before confessing to 12 of the 15 killings shortly before the end of the trial.
The case also shines a light on the ongoing debate about the expansion of digital investigative powers in Germany. The Bundestag is currently deliberating over a legislative package from the Interior Ministry that would grant police and prosecutors expanded powers for automated data analysis, including through the use of artificial intelligence. This is intended to aid in the fight against terrorism and serious crime.
Source: dw.com
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