A former anaesthetist has gone on trial in the city of Besançon, in eastern France, accused of intentionally poisoning 30 people, including 12 patients who died.
Frédéric Péchier, 53, considered by colleagues to be a highly-talented practitioner, was first placed under investigation eight years ago, when he was suspected of poisoning patients at two clinics in the city between 2008 and 2017.
Despite the serious charges against him, Mr. Péchier has remained at liberty under judicial supervision and told French radio on Monday there was no proof of any poisoning.
The trial is set to last more than three months and involves more than 150 civil parties representing the 30 alleged victims.
Allegations of poisoning emerged in January 2017, when a 36-year-old patient called Sandra Simard, who was otherwise healthy, had surgery on her spine and her heart stopped beating. After an intensive care physician failed to revive her, Frédéric Péchier gave her an injection and the patient went into a coma and survived. Intravenous drugs used to treat her then showed concentrations of potassium 100 times the expected dose, leading local prosecutors to become involved.
Another serious adverse event, involving a 70-year-old man, occurred shortly after, when Mr. Péchier claimed to have found three tampered paracetamol bags after administering general anaesthetic.
Mr. Péchier has maintained that he is being framed, but he was placed under formal investigation a few weeks later.
One of his lawyers stated that he had been waiting eight years to prove his innocence, with Mr. Péchier expressing hope to finally present his side during the trial.
Investigations revealed further serious cases dating back to 2008, involving patients aged four to 89, at the clinics he worked at. Several patients had to be resuscitated during minor operations, and some fatalities were reported, including that of a 53-year-old man who died after a routine kidney operation, having been administered a lethal dose of lidocaine.
Prosecutors argue that he tampered with intravenous medicines to induce cardiac arrests as a means of revenge against colleagues, describing him as the common denominator in all poisoning cases.
If found guilty, Mr. Péchier could face life imprisonment. The trial is scheduled to continue until December.
