A German nurse has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering 10 elderly patients in a palliative care unit to reduce his workload. The verdict was handed down by the Aachen Regional Court following a lengthy trial.
The 44-year-old man, who worked at Rhein-Maas-Klinikum in Würselen, was arrested in July 2024. According to court findings, he administered fatal doses of sedatives and painkillers to vulnerable patients during his night shifts in 2023 and 2024.
Prosecutors argued that the German nurse acted with full awareness that the drugs could be lethal, aiming to subdue the patients for his own convenience. The court heard that 27 additional patients were also subjected to similar non-consensual injections but survived, making him guilty of attempted murder in those cases.
Medical experts testified that the man, whose name has not been released, displayed signs of a personality disorder with narcissistic traits. He reportedly expressed disdain for the condition of the patients under his care and showed no remorse for his actions.
The defense claimed there was no intent to kill, but the court ruled that the German nurse’s behavior was premeditated and motivated by personal ease rather than compassion or medical necessity.
In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a lifelong professional ban, permanently barring him from any future employment in healthcare. Investigators are now examining his earlier years of work to determine if other patients may have been harmed.
This case has drawn widespread attention in Germany, raising concerns about oversight and patient safety in care facilities.