German Nurse Gets Life Sentence for Murdering Patients to Ease Workload

A court in Aachen, Germany, has sentenced a 44-year-old nurse to life imprisonment for murdering 10 terminally ill patients under his care.

According to the court ruling delivered on Wednesday, the nurse deliberately ended the lives of the patients in a palliative care unit in an attempt to reduce his workload during night shifts.

Given the gravity of his crimes, the court ruled that he will not be eligible for parole after serving the minimum 15-year sentence.

Authorities say the exact number of victims remains uncertain, as investigations suggest he may have been involved in additional deaths that are yet to be confirmed.

According to prosecutors, 13 people died after the man administered sedatives, sometimes in combination with painkillers, while working at a clinic near the western city of Aachen between December 2023 and May 2024.

Initially, he was charged with nine counts of murder and 34 counts of attempted murder, but as proceedings drew to a close, the court was convinced that the defendant had killed a 10th person.

It found him guilty of attempted murder in 27 cases.

Prosecutors accused the nurse of sedating patients to ease his workload during night shifts. The defendant said he did not administer medication in order to end someone’s life.

The defence team had called for his acquittal.

Investigators continue to examine additional suspected cases from previous years, and prosecutors in Aachen have indicated that further charges are likely. 

dpa/NAN