Appeal court maintains detention of former anaesthetist convicted of poisonings
A 54-year-old former practitioner remains imprisoned as he sought release from prison before his appeal trial scheduled for 2027.
Appeal court maintains detention of former anaesthetist convicted of poisonings
Judges at the Rhône court of appeal rejected on Tuesday the request for provisional release submitted by Frédéric Péchier. The 54-year-old former anaesthetist is serving a sentence of life imprisonment handed down in December 2025 by the Doubs assizes court.
The court had then found him responsible for poisoning 30 people hospitalised in Besançon clinics, 12 of whom had died. The magistrates established that he had tampered with infusion bags in order to cause harm to colleagues with whom he disagreed. The sentence includes a minimum custodial period of 22 years.
Péchier continues to deny the charges against him. He was seeking his release from prison to prepare his appeal in more favourable conditions and, according to his statements, to resume work in order to prove that he is not guilty.
The Lyon magistrates based their decision on three grounds: the danger of pressure being exerted on witnesses, the risk of reoffending, and the threat of serious, unusual and prolonged disturbances to public peace. The new trial is scheduled to open in Lyon in autumn 2027.
Source: France Info