German Physician Faces Murder Charges for Deaths of 15 Patients

Authorities in Berlin have charged a 40-year-old palliative care physician with murdering 15 patients using lethal drugs. The suspect is accused of employing methods to conceal the deaths, including arson, as investigations expand to uncover potentially more victims.

 

A German doctor specializing in palliative care has been charged with the alleged murders of 15 patients using a combination of lethal medications. Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old, whose identity has not been disclosed due to privacy laws, of committing these acts between September 2021 and July 2024. Among the victims, there were 12 women and three men, and authorities suspect the number of fatalities could rise as investigations continue.

The doctor is alleged to have administered an anesthetic alongside a muscle relaxant to his patients without their consent, resulting in respiratory failure and death within minutes. In a disturbing twist, prosecutors revealed that he reportedly attempted to conceal his actions by setting fire to the apartments of some victims multiple times, effectively destroying evidence.

One of the most tragic incidents occurred on a single day in July 2024, when the physician allegedly took the lives of a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman within hours of each other in central Berlin. Though he attempted to ignite the woman's residence as well, this effort did not succeed. Authorities disclosed that he misled a family member into thinking the woman had not responded to his calls at her apartment.

Initially arrested in August 2024 on suspicion of killing four individuals entrusted to his care, a further investigation unveiled other suspicious deaths, prompting plans for additional exhumations as potential victims are revisited. Prosecutors are pursuing a "lifelong professional ban" alongside "preventative detention" for the accused, who is currently held in custody as the case unfolds.