German Doctor Faces Trial for Alleged Murder of 15 Patients

A 40-year-old German doctor, identified only as Johannes M under German privacy laws, is on trial in Berlin for the alleged murder of 15 patients under palliative care. The case has sent shockwaves through the medical community and raised serious concerns about patient safety and ethical conduct.

Prosecutors have charged the defendant with 15 counts of murder, citing premeditated malice and other “base motives.” The trial, which is set to run until January 28, 2026, is expected to involve 13 relatives of the deceased as co-plaintiffs, with around 150 witnesses and experts set to testify.

The accused, who has been in custody since August 6, is also alleged to have attempted to cover up evidence of the murders by setting fires in the victims’ homes. According to the indictment, the doctor administered an anaesthetic and a muscle relaxer to his patients without their knowledge or consent, causing respiratory arrest and death within minutes.

The victims, who ranged in age from 25 to 94, mostly died in their own homes. Some of the cases involved patients who were seriously ill but whose deaths were not imminent. Prosecutors have not yet determined the doctor’s motive, and the defendant has not made a statement to the court, according to his defense lawyer, Christoph Stoll.

One of the most controversial cases involves a 56-year-old woman who was allegedly given a drug cocktail without any medical need. The doctor then falsely claimed she was in a condition requiring resuscitation, leading to her hospitalization. Later, with the consent of her daughters, artificial respiration was discontinued, and she died on September 8 in a Berlin hospital.

As the trial unfolds, investigators continue to examine additional suspected cases. A special team has reviewed 395 cases, confirming initial suspicion in 95 of them and initiating preliminary proceedings. Five cases have been dismissed, while 75 remain under investigation. Five exhumations are still planned.

This case is reminiscent of a 2019 case in which a German nurse was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 87 patients. Now, the German justice system is once again grappling with the ethical and legal boundaries of medical care and the potential for abuse within palliative care systems.