Berlin, Germany – A palliative care doctor in Berlin has been accused of murdering 15 of his patients by administering a lethal cocktail of drugs. Prosecutors have alleged that the 40-year-old doctor set fire to some of the victims’ homes in an attempt to cover up the murders.
The victims, consisting of 12 women and three men, were allegedly killed between September 2021 and July 2024. However, authorities suspect that the total number of victims could potentially be higher. The doctor, whose identity remains undisclosed due to privacy laws, has not admitted to the charges brought against him.
It is reported that the doctor administered an anaesthetic and muscle relaxant to the patients without their knowledge or consent. The relaxant caused respiratory muscle paralysis, ultimately leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes. The suspected murders took place in various German states, with victims ranging from 25 to 94 years old.
In addition to the drug administration, the doctor is also accused of setting fire to the apartments of his victims on multiple occasions to conceal the killings. Prosecutors revealed that in July 2024, the suspect allegedly killed two patients in a single day – a 75-year-old man in central Berlin and a 76-year-old woman in a nearby district. Despite attempting to set fire to the woman’s residence, the doctor’s plot was unsuccessful.
Initially arrested in August 2024 on suspicion of four murders, further investigations have uncovered more suspicious deaths linked to the doctor. Authorities plan to conduct more exhumations in search of additional potential victims. Prosecutors are seeking a “lifelong professional ban” and “preventative detention” for the 40-year-old suspect, who is currently in custody.