Prosecutors in Berlin charged a doctor with 15 counts of murder on Wednesday, alleging that he administered lethal doses of medication to palliative care patients.
The now 40-year-old doctor, who worked in the palliative care team of a nursing service, is alleged to have acted out of malice and other base motives.
What do we know about the case?
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the doctor is alleged to have killed a total of 15 patients cared for by the nursing service between September 2021 and July 2024.
The man allegedly administered an anesthetic induction drug and then a muscle relaxant to his patients without medical necessity or their knowledge and consent. The latter was said to have led to paralysis of the respiratory muscles, resulting in respiratory arrest and death within a few minutes.
In some cases, the suspect allegedly set fire to his victims’ homes to cover up his actions.
The victims were reportedly between 56 and 94 years old.
The accused has been in custody since August 2024 and has not yet commented on the charges. Prosecutors are seeking a lifelong professional ban for the suspect who had been active as a medic in several German states.
During the course of the investigation, the public prosecutor’s office also ordered exhumations with investigations reportedly still ongoing in some cases. An investigative team is also evaluating the doctor’s patient records for more evidence.
The man — not officially named in line with German privacy laws — initially came under suspicion over four deaths last year, after he allegedly torched the victims’ homes.
The death toll could still rise, even after investigators uncovered more possible victims dating back to 2021. (DW)