German Palliative Care Nurse Sentenced to Life for Murdering 10 Patients to Reduce Workload

A court in Germany has sentenced a palliative care nurse to life imprisonment. (Representative image)

In western Germany, a palliative care nurse has received a life sentence after being convicted of murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 others.

The unnamed nurse was found guilty of administering morphine or sedatives to his predominantly elderly patients during night shifts to reduce his workload. These fatal incidents occurred between December 2023 and May 2024 at a hospital in Wuerselen, western Germany.

During the trial at the Aachen court, prosecutors described the nurse as demonstrating "irritation" and a profound lack of empathy toward patients requiring extensive care. They accused him of acting as a "master of life and death."

According to AFP reports, investigators believe the actual number of victims may be higher than currently confirmed. Exhumations are underway to identify additional potential victims, which could result in further legal proceedings against the nurse.

The convicted healthcare worker began his employment at the Wuerselen facility in 2020, after completing his nursing training in 2007. Prosecutors stated that during overnight shifts, he deliberately administered lethal doses of morphine and midazolam, a potent sedative, to accelerate patients' deaths and thereby lighten his professional responsibilities.

His arrest came in 2024.

In delivering the verdict, the court determined that his crimes demonstrated a "particular severity of guilt," which eliminates the possibility of early release after the standard 15-year minimum. The convicted nurse retains the right to appeal the sentence.

This case has drawn parallels to that of Niels Hogel, another former nurse who received a life sentence in 2019 for killing 85 patients at two northern German hospitals between 1999 and 2005 by injecting fatal doses of heart medication. Hogel is considered one of the most prolific serial killers in Germany's recent history.