Palliative Care Doctor in Germany Admits Killing 12 Patients
A palliative care doctor in Berlin has confessed to killing 12 patients in court, stating it was a moral act with the wrong means. Prosecutors are investigating dozens more similar cases.
At the Berlin Regional Court on Thursday, June 25, a 40-year-old palliative care doctor confessed to killing 12 patients. He is charged with causing the deaths of 15 people—12 women and three men—between September 2021 and July 2024. The victims ranged in age from 25 to 87. The doctor administered a lethal mixture of various medications. Prosecutors believe that in several cases, he also set fires in an attempt to cover up his crimes.
The trial, which began about a year ago, heard the defendant state: "Only now am I able to explain my actions, and I take responsibility for what I have done." He apologized to the victims' relatives, as well as to his own family and colleagues, for the great suffering he caused. Weeks earlier, phone conversations between the doctor and his wife were played in court. In those calls, he described his actions as "a moral act carried out with the wrong means," claiming the aim was to save patients from pain and illness.
The doctor said his confession was not due to irrefutable evidence but rather a deep self-analysis over the past few months. The crimes were committed while he was working for a care service in Berlin. In parallel to the trial, prosecutors are investigating dozens more cases in which the accused may have committed similar offenses.
