A palliative care nurse in Germany has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a court found him guilty of murdering ten patients and attempting to kill twenty seven others.
The offences took place between December 2023 and May 2024 at a hospital in Wuerselen, western Germany, and prosecutors allege that he administered lethal doses of painkillers and sedatives in order to ease his workload during night shifts.
The man, whose identity has not been publicly released, had been employed at the Wuerselen hospital since 2020. He completed his nursing training in 2007 and had worked in various healthcare roles over the intervening years.
Prosecutors told the court in Aachen that he showed persistent irritation and a lack of empathy towards patients requiring intensive care. He was described as playing the role of master of life and death, administering large doses of morphine and midazolam, a sedative, to those under his care.
The court emphasised the particular severity of guilt in its ruling and stated that this should prevent the possibility of early release after fifteen years. The man is expected to appeal the verdict. Authorities are also conducting exhumations to identify additional victims, raising the possibility of further trials if new evidence emerges.
This case has drawn comparisons to the case of Niels Högel, a former nurse convicted of murdering eighty five patients at hospitals in northern Germany. Högel was found to have given lethal doses of heart medication to patients in his care between 1999 and 2005 and is considered one of Germany’s most prolific modern serial killers.
The revelations have prompted renewed scrutiny of staffing levels and monitoring practices in hospitals, particularly in wards with vulnerable patients. Experts have pointed to the risks posed when healthcare workers with access to life saving medications act with disregard for patient safety.
The Wuerselen hospital has said it is cooperating fully with authorities and reviewing its protocols to prevent any repeat of such incidents. Prosecutors have indicated that the investigation may extend to other suspicious deaths linked to the nurse throughout his career. Families of the victims have called for justice and greater transparency to ensure accountability in the healthcare system.
The case has reignited public debate in Germany over patient safety and the responsibilities of those entrusted with the care of the most vulnerable.
