A German court on has sentenced a palliative care nurse to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 others using lethal injections.

According to prosecutors, the nurse, whose name was withheld under German privacy laws, administered painkillers and sedatives to mostly elderly patients between December 2023 and May 2024 at a clinic near Aachen, western Germany.

The substances were reportedly given not out of mercy or medical necessity, but to lessen his workload during night shifts.

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Crimes Deemed ‘Particularly Severe’

A spokesperson for the Aachen court said the panel deemed the crimes “particularly severe,” meaning the convict will have minimal chances of early release after serving the mandatory 15 years that accompany a life sentence in Germany.

Prosecutors painted a grim picture of the nurse’s actions, arguing that he had abused his medical position and patients’ vulnerability for personal convenience.

“This was not a moment of negligence or a lapse in judgment. It was a deliberate act to make his nights easier,” the court spokesperson emphasized.

Investigations Into Other Suspicious Cases

The ruling comes as investigators continue to examine other suspicious cases linked to the nurse’s professional history.

German media reported that several incidents at previous medical facilities are being reviewed to determine whether they could be connected to the same pattern of behavior.

The convicted nurse has the right to appeal the decision, although legal experts say overturning a judgment of this gravity is rare.

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Echoes of Germany’s Worst Medical Killing Spree

This case has reignited national debate over oversight and accountability within Germany’s healthcare system.

It also draws unsettling parallels to Germany’s deadliest medical murder case, in which former nurse Niels Högel was sentenced to life in 2019 for killing 85 patients, the worst killing spree in the country’s post-war era.

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Court gravel for illustration purposes. PHOTO/FILE