"Getty Images A palliative care nurse in Germany has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of the murder of 10 patients and the attempted murder of 27 others. Prosecutors alleged that the man, who has not been publicly named, injected his mostly elderly patients with painkillers or sedatives in an effort to ease his workload during shifts overnight. The offences were committed between December 2023 and May 2024 in a hospital in Wuerselen, in western Germany."
"Prosecutors told a court in Aachen that he showed "irritation" and a lack of empathy to patients who required a higher level of care, and accused him of playing "master of life and death". The court was told that he injected patients with large doses of morphine and midazolam, a type of sedative, in an effort to reduce his workload during night shifts. He was arrested in 2024. When issuing the life sentence, the court said that the man's crimes carried a "particular severity of guilt" which should bar him from early release after 15 years."
"Prosecutors have told AFP that exhumations are taking place to identify further potential victims, which could see the man put on trial again. The case bears similarity to that of former nurse Niels Hogel, who was handed a life sentence in 2019 after he was convicted of murdering 85 patients at two hospitals in northern Germany. A court found that he administered lethal doses of heart medication to people in his care between 1999 and 2005. He is believed to be the most prolific killer in Germany's modern history."
An unnamed palliative care nurse in Wuerselen, western Germany, was convicted of murdering 10 patients and attempting to murder 27 others. The offences occurred between December 2023 and May 2024 in a hospital where he had worked since 2020. Prosecutors said he injected mostly elderly patients with large doses of morphine and midazolam to ease his workload during overnight shifts. Investigators reported signs of irritation and lack of empathy toward patients requiring higher care and accused him of playing "master of life and death". He was arrested in 2024 and sentenced to life with particular severity of guilt preventing early release after 15 years. Exhumations are underway to identify further possible victims.
Read at www.bbc.com
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