Germany shocked by doctor suspected of murdering 15 palliative care patients

Germany shocked by doctor suspected of murdering 15 palliative care patients - Photo 1.

Nurses walk through the hallway of the pediatric intensive care unit at Saint Joseph Hospital, Germany on December 13, 2022 - Photo: AFP

A palliative care doctor in Berlin, Germany, has been charged with 15 counts of murder, Reuters reported on April 16. He is suspected of injecting lethal doses of drugs into patients under his care between 2021 and 2024.

Prosecutors allege the doctor used an anesthetic, followed by a muscle relaxant, to cause patients to stop breathing and die within minutes, even though they were not in critical condition and without being informed or consenting.

German radio station DW said these were acts without legitimate medical reasons, stemming from malice and other despicable motives.

The suspect is also accused of setting fire to several of the victims’ apartments to conceal his crimes. It was these unusual fires that brought him to the attention of the police in the middle of last year, when he was suspected of being involved in the first four deaths.

From there the investigation was expanded and more suspicious deaths were discovered.

The number of victims has risen to at least 15 people between the ages of 56 and 94, and is likely to continue to rise as there may be more victims yet to be discovered.

The doctor, who has worked in several German states, has not been identified under German privacy laws. He has been in custody since August 2024 and has so far pleaded not guilty to any charges. Prosecutors in Berlin are seeking a lifetime ban on him.

Investigations are continuing on a large scale. A special investigation team has been set up to investigate the entire incident. Exhumations and analysis of medical records are ongoing, with the aim of establishing the full extent of the crime.