&w=3840&q=100)
German doctor who ‘killed his patients, set their homes on fire' goes on trial for 15 murders
The Regional Courtroom in Berlin, Germany, on Monday. Source: AFP
A 40-year-old doctor, identified only as Johannes M. due to German privacy laws, went on trial in Berlin on Monday (July 14) for the murder of 15 palliative care patients.
The prosecutor's office charged him with 15 counts of premeditated murder driven by 'base motives,' seeking a life sentence, a permanent ban from practising medicine, and preventive detention.
If found guilty of 'particularly severe guilt,' he would not be eligible for release after 15 years, as is typical in Germany.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Allegations against doctor
The doctor, part of a nursing service's end-of-life care team, is accused of killing patients aged 25 to 94 between September 2021 and July 2024 by administering a lethal mix of anaesthetic and muscle relaxant without their consent.
This drug cocktail allegedly caused respiratory failure and death within minutes.
Most victims died in their homes. Prosecutors also allege he attempted to cover up the murders by setting fires at the victims' residences.
He has been in custody since August 6.
One case involves a 56-year-old woman who died in September 2021. The doctor allegedly gave her the lethal drugs without medical necessity, then made a false emergency call claiming she needed resuscitation. Although rescue workers revived her and took her to a hospital, the doctor reportedly contacted one of her daughters, apologising for violating the woman's living will against life-prolonging measures.
With the daughters' consent, artificial respiration was stopped, and she died on September 8.
Motive
The motive remains unclear, as the seriously ill victims were not facing imminent death.
Johannes M. refused a pre-trial psychiatric interview, so an expert will assess his behaviour in court.
His lawyer, Christoph Stoll, said he will not yet make a statement.
The trial, with 35 scheduled dates until January 2026, includes 13 relatives as co-plaintiffs and up to 150 witnesses.
Parallel investigations into dozens of other suspected deaths continue, with 395 cases reviewed by a special homicide team.
Initial suspicion was confirmed in 95 cases, with 75 still under investigation, including the death of the doctor's cancer-stricken mother-in-law.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Five exhumations are planned. This case echoes a 2019 conviction of a German nurse sentenced to life for murdering 87 patients.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Vandals set fire to a mouse statue that's a TV star and mascot for a German broadcaster
BERLIN — Vandals set fire to a mouse statue that's a TV star and mascot for children's programming at German broadcaster WDR, the television station said Saturday. Vandals set fire to a mouse statue that's a TV star and mascot for a German broadcaster The cartoon mouse, known only as 'Die Maus,' is the eponymous star of 'Die Sendung mit der Maus' since it first aired in West Germany in 1971. Each short episode features other languages and educational segments. The statue — featuring the character's famous orange body with brown ears, arms and legs — greets families and children outside a media building in Cologne, Germany. A receptionist for WDR saw several young people standing around the statue in Cologne on a camera feed overnight Friday into Saturday. She then noticed flames and called the fire department, WDR said. The fire blackened parts of the mouse's face and arm, images show. The station said a police complaint had been filed against an unidentified person. Matthias Körnich, head of children's programming for WDR, said it's not just a figurine that was damaged. 'A piece of childhood, a symbol of joy and togetherness has been attacked,' he said. 'The mouse belongs to Cologne.' The mouse statue isn't the first German TV character to be attacked. In 2009, the statue of a depressed German loaf of bread named Bernd das Brot was stolen from his traditional place outside the town hall in Erfurt, where German children's public television channel KiKA is based. Bernd, a cult classic in Germany, was held hostage for nearly two weeks before being discovered unharmed in an abandoned barracks. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Three Spectators Dead In Motor Rally Accident In France
Last Updated: Several witnesses of the accident were in shock, and nine individuals were taken to a psychological support unit established in the nearby village of Saint-Just. Three spectators lost their lives in central France on Saturday when a car driven by a 22-year-old woman racer veered off the road during an auto rally, authorities reported. The driver of the modified Peugeot 208 and her 51-year-old female co-driver were hospitalized, but their lives are not in danger, according to prosecutors. The incident occurred near the town of Ambert in central France at approximately 11 am (0900 GMT) on Saturday. Two men died on the spot, and prosecutors later announced that a third man, who was airlifted to the hospital, succumbed to his injuries. The deceased were identified as two brothers, aged 70 and 60, and a 44-year-old man, according to the public prosecutor's office, which has launched an investigation into involuntary manslaughter. Several witnesses of the accident were in shock, and nine individuals were taken to a psychological support unit established in the nearby village of Saint-Just. 'This is a tragedy for the world of racing," Joel Mathurin, the top government official for the department of Puy-de-Dome, told reporters at the scene. The road at the accident site is bordered by cornfields. Several hours after the crash, pieces of plastic and glass fragments were still visible, according to an AFP journalist. When asked if the victims were in an area closed to the public, Moisset stated she preferred to 'be cautious." 'It is still a little too early to be precise. The race was extremely well organised," she added. Initially, the prefect had indicated that the spectators struck by the car were in a restricted area marked off by red tape. The areas designated for the public are marked with green tape. Organised since 1965, the motor rally attracted 167 teams for its 32nd edition. In last year's rally, a race marshal died. Following the accident on Saturday, rally organisers issued a brief statement saying the race was halted at 10:49 am. All spectators were asked to leave the scene, and the event's award ceremony was cancelled. Dozens of firefighters and police were dispatched to the scene. The investigation is 'in its early stages," the prosecutor said. The Peugeot 208 car is to be examined. The road where the accident occurred, which is almost a straight line according to authorities, has been closed. The mayor of Saint-Just, Francois Chautard, noted that the rally had passed through his village in recent years. He mentioned seeing the 'dented" car as it was being towed away. 'I think the crash was violent," he said. With AFP Inputs view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
Keir Starmer Outlines UK's Efforts For Gaza Aid Airdrops, Child Evacuations
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday spoke to his French and German counterparts and outlined UK plans to get aid to people in Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children, his office said. "The prime minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance," a statement said. In a phone conversation, Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza "which they agreed is appalling". "They all agreed it would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently needed ceasefire into lasting peace," according to a readout released by Downing Street. "They discussed their intention to work closely together on a plan.... which would pave the way to a long-term solution and security in the region. They agreed that once this plan was worked up, they would seek to bring in other key partners, including in the region, to advance it," it added. The discussion comes a day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed the international community for turning a blind eye to widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip, calling it a "moral crisis that challenges the global conscience". Aid groups have warned of surging cases of starvation, particularly among children, in war-ravaged Gaza, which Israel placed under an aid blockade in March amid its ongoing war with Hamas. That blockade was partially eased two months later. The trickle of aid since then has been controlled by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
