Berlin palliative care doctor sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of 15 patients
A 41-year-old palliative care doctor from Berlin has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 15 patients. Prosecutors are investigating a further 76 suspected deaths.
Berlin palliative care doctor sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of 15 patients
A 41-year-old palliative care doctor from the German capital has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of 15 people. The Berlin regional court also imposed a permanent ban from the medical profession and ordered subsequent commitment to a psychiatric facility.
The judges emphasised the exceptional gravity of the offences. The defendant admitted to twelve of the fifteen murders during the closing phase of the trial. He claimed he wanted to spare his victims suffering.
The murders began in September 2021 and continued until July 2024. Those killed included twelve women and three men aged between 25 and 94 years. The doctor visited his patients at home. He first incapacitated them with an anaesthetic, then injected a muscle relaxant. The combination of these substances led to death by asphyxiation.
Additionally, the convicted man is suspected of attempting to destroy evidence through arson. Investigators found him through their investigation of such a fire.
The prosecution is currently reviewing 76 further suspected deaths. Several bodies need to be exhumed for a possible new prosecution. One of the disputed cases concerns the defendant's mother-in-law, who had cancer.
Source: Nieuwsblad
Source: Nieuwsblad