A 40-year-old German palliative care specialist has gone on trial in Berlin, accused of killing 15 patients under his care and attempting to conceal some of the crimes by setting fires.
Prosecutors allege the doctor administered deadly doses of sedatives to 12 women and three men, aged between 25 and 94, between September 2021 and July 2024. He is also suspected of torching victims’ homes in some cases to cover his tracks.
At the opening of the trial at Berlin’s state court, lead prosecutor Philipp Meyhoefer stated that the doctor posed as a caregiver, visiting patients under the guise of medical treatment.
The suspect was arrested in August 2024 after investigators initially linked him to four deaths. The case has since expanded, raising chilling questions about abuse of trust in end-of-life care.
