The authorities in Germany have charged a palliative care doctor based in Berlin with the murder of 15 patients over a span of three years. This alarming case was made public by the public prosecutor's office on Wednesday, which has also announced that an additional 75 deaths of patients are under scrutiny for potential foul play.
Named as a 40-year-old physician, whose identity remains confidential due to German privacy laws, he allegedly killed these individuals between 2021 and 2024. The method of murder involved administering a potent narcotic followed by a muscle relaxant, effectively sedating the patients before halting their breathing. As of the latest reports, the doctor has not confessed to the charges he faces.
In some disturbing instances, he has been accused of setting fire to the apartments of these patients in an attempt to obliterate evidence of his alleged crimes. Additionally, he reportedly called emergency services in one case to mislead investigators regarding the circumstances of a patient's death.
Under German legislation, murder convictions can result in life imprisonment, with the potential for parole after serving 15 years. However, due to the peculiar nature of the allegations, the public prosecutor has advocated for the doctor's placement in a special security custody, which would extend his incarceration beyond the standard sentence should he be found guilty, aimed at ensuring community safety.
Currently held at Moabit Prison in Berlin, the doctor has been incarcerated since August after the district attorney deemed him a suspect in the deaths of four patients. Following his arrest, investigators expanded their inquiries, uncovering more potential victims associated with his practice.
