A former nurse convicted of killing 10 patients in western Germany may be linked to more than 100 additional deaths, according to prosecutors. The shocking revelations have sent shockwaves through the German healthcare system and prompted a widespread investigation.
The chief public prosecutor in Aachen, Katja Schlenkermann-Pittner, told the BBC that there was “a correspondingly high number of suspicious cases” under review. She cautioned that the cases represented preliminary suspicions and that some could be dismissed following forensic examination.
In November last year, a regional court in Aachen convicted the unnamed former palliative care nurse of 10 counts of murder and 27 counts of attempted murder, sentencing him to life imprisonment. The court found that during night shifts at a hospital in Würselen, the man had administered excessive doses of sedatives and painkillers to seriously ill patients without medical justification.
Prosecutors said the drugs were sometimes given repeatedly and that the defendant was aware of the potentially fatal consequences. Judges concluded that the actions were driven by personal unease and a desire to impose order during night shifts.
The defendant denied the charges during the trial, stating that he had intended to help patients sleep and had not believed the medication posed a lethal risk given their underlying illnesses. However, prosecutors told the court that he showed “irritation” and a lack of empathy towards patients who required a higher level of care, accusing him of playing “master of life and death”.
As part of the expanded inquiry, investigators have ordered around 60 exhumations, with 27 already carried out and approximately 30 more pending. Schlenkermann-Pittner said autopsy results were still outstanding in many cases and would determine whether further charges could be brought.
Prosecutors in Cologne are also examining deaths linked to hospitals where the nurse worked before his transfer to Würselen, 65km (40 miles) away. Two exhumations have taken place so far, including the remains of a 94-year-old woman who died in 2018 and a 78-year-old patient who died in 2015. Further exhumations have been ordered.
Prosecutors in both Aachen and Cologne said preparations for potential new charges were underway, but officials said that any further proceedings were unlikely to begin before 2027.
The case bears similarities to that of former nurse Niels Högel, who was handed a life sentence in 2019 after being convicted of murdering 85 patients at two hospitals in northern Germany. Högel is believed to be the most prolific killer in Germany’s modern history.
The shocking revelations have sparked outrage and raised concerns about the need for greater oversight and accountability within the healthcare system. As the investigation continues, the German public waits anxiously for the full truth to emerge.
