In a shocking turn of events, prosecutors in Berlin have charged a doctor with 15 counts of murder, following allegations that he administered lethal dosages of various medications to vulnerable palliative patients under his care.
The case involves a 40-year-old suspect, who has been in custody since August 2024 and has worked across multiple German states. Prosecutors are now advocating for a lifetime ban on his medical practice. Interestingly, due to German privacy laws, the suspect’s identity remains undisclosed, and he has denied the serious charges against him.
Initially, the investigation focused on four suspicious deaths last year, with prosecutors asserting that the suspect attempted to conceal his actions by intentionally setting fire to the victims’ apartments. A specialized investigative team is currently reviewing his patient records, and at least five additional exhumations are underway to gather more evidence.
According to prosecutors, the doctor allegedly administered an anesthetic followed by a muscle relaxant to palliative patients who were neither actively dying nor aware of what was happening. The muscle relaxant reportedly “paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes.” Tragically, the victims varied in age from just 25 to 94 years old.
In a particularly disturbing accusation, it is claimed that the doctor executed two patients on the very same day. On July 8, 2024, he allegedly killed a 75-year-old man at his home in the Kreuzberg district of central Berlin. “A few hours later,” he is accused of murdering a 76-year-old woman in the nearby Neukölln district. Furthermore, the suspect’s attempt to set fire to the crime scene reportedly “failed,” as the fire did not ignite.
When confronted with the situation, prosecutors noted that the suspect “informed a relative of the woman, claiming that he was standing outside her apartment and no one had responded to his ringing.” In another instance, he allegedly contacted emergency services himself “out of fear of being discovered,” falsely purporting to have already initiated resuscitation for the 56-year-old victim who was ultimately kept alive for three more days in the hospital before succumbing.
Through their diligent investigation, a special team of investigators has identified 395 cases that warrant further scrutiny in light of the allegations against the doctor. So far, preliminary proceedings have been launched in 95 confirmed cases, while another 75 are still under assessment.
Already, 12 exhumations have been conducted, with five connected to the current charges against the doctor. Plans for five more exhumations are in place, indicating the seriousness of this ongoing investigation.
The gravity of these allegations recalls another troubling case currently underway in Germany, involving a nurse charged with murdering nine patients in similar palliative care settings. This nurse’s trial, which opened in March, alleges that he injected a total of 26 patients with significant doses of sedatives or painkillers, leading to the deaths of nine. Prosecutors indicated that this individual was driven by a desire to lessen his workload during night shifts, and brazenly considered himself the “master of life and death.”
This disturbing series of incidents raises essential questions about patient safety and the ethical responsibilities of healthcare professionals. As the courtroom drama unfolds, society holds its breath, hoping for justice for the victims and their families.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
