German doctor suspected of killing at least 15 patients who were receiving palliative care

A palliative care doctor in Germany is suspected of killing at least 15 patients, the public prosecutor says, warning that many more cases could be discovered.

The doctor has been in custody since August 2024.

Prosecutors initially identified four victims in the case, later raising the number to eight and then 10.

They have now charged the doctor with murder but said investigations into 75 potential additional cases are ongoing.

The 40-year-old man is alleged to have committed the offences while working for a nursing service that provided support for terminally ill patients.

The indictment lists 15 cases between September 22, 2021 and July 24, 2024.

It says the doctor is alleged to have administered a “lethal mixture of various medications” to 12 women and 3 men.

A 25-year-old is listed as the first and youngest known victim, and a 94-year-old as the oldest.

According to the public prosecutor’s office, the affected patients were not in an acute terminal phase at the time of the acts.

Prosecutors are seeking a murder conviction with a finding that the suspect bears particularly severe guilt and a preventive detention, as well as a lifelong ban on the doctor’s medical practice, spokesman Sebastian Büchner said.

So far, a total of 12 bodies have been exhumed and examined by forensic doctors as part of the investigations, Büchner said.

Five more exhumations are planned, he added.

The case is now to be brought before the Berlin regional court while a special investigative unit of the homicide division of Berlin’s State Office of Criminal Investigations continues to evaluate documents from the doctor’s patients.

The doctor initially came to the attention of investigators because of four cases between June 11 and July 24 last year.

During this time, he is said to have killed four patients between the ages of 72 and 94 in their homes in Berlin, before setting fire to the apartments to cover up the killings.

Police initially investigated the fires on suspicion of arson resulting in death.

During the investigation suspicions about the doctor grew, and tips provided by the doctor’s care service helped investigators, the prosecutor said.

“We were shocked by the extent of the investigation and continue to be in view of the latest findings,” the care service’s management said.

“We are closely involved in the investigation and continue to co-operate with the public prosecutor’s office to the best of our ability,” it added.