A Berlin palliative care doctor is facing murder charges for the deaths of 15 patients. Prosecutors allege the 40-year-old suspect acted out of a "lust" for killing. The accused is believed to have killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024. The suspect's name has not been officially released by authorities.
The doctor is accused of administering a deadly combination of sedatives to patients without their knowledge or consent. This included an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant. The muscle relaxant paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to death within minutes. The victims ranged in age from 25 to 94 years old.
In five instances, the suspect allegedly set fire to the patients' apartments in an attempt to conceal the killings. The suspect is accused of killing two patients on the same day, including a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman. The attempt to set the scene on fire failed.
The charges against the suspect have increased in severity since his initial arrest in August. He was originally suspected of manslaughter in connection with four deaths. Prosecutors later classified the cases as murders and added more deaths to the list.
Prosecutors stated the suspect appeared to have no motive other than the act of killing itself, driven by a "lust for murder." The updated charge sheet accuses the suspect of carrying out the murders with "malice aforethought." Prosecutors are seeking a lifelong professional ban and preventive detention for the suspect.
A special investigative team identified 395 suspicious cases that required re-examination. Initial suspicions were confirmed in 95 cases, leading to preliminary proceedings. Another 75 cases are still under assessment.
As part of the investigation, 12 exhumations have been conducted, with five relating to the victims listed in the charges. Five more exhumations are planned.
The allegations against the doctor are reminiscent of another ongoing case in Germany, where a nurse is accused of murdering nine patients in palliative care. The nurse is alleged to have injected 26 patients with large doses of sedatives or painkillers. Prosecutors in that case said the nurse was motivated by a desire to reduce his workload and considered himself the "master of life and death.
7 Comments
Rotfront
I am glad that the investigation is thorough. This is a difficult case, but the truth must come out.
Matzomaster
They need to throw the book at this guy. Life in prison is the only acceptable outcome.
Karamba
This case highlights the importance of patient safety and scrutiny within healthcare.
Matzomaster
Wow, the thought of having your final moments stolen by a doctor’s cruelty is truly terrifying.
Karamba
This is a heartbreaking situation, but the reporting is factual and necessary to ensure justice for the victims. .
Cerebro
Lust for killing? That's not a human. This doctor deserves the harshest punishment possible.
moshiurroney
They are taking this very seriously which is great. I can't imagine what the families must be going through.