A former anaesthetist has gone on trial in Besançon, eastern France, accused of deliberately poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom lost their lives. The case, spanning nearly a decade of investigations, has shaken the French medical community and raised pressing concerns about patient safety.
The accused, aged 53, built a reputation as a skilled practitioner but came under suspicion after a series of unexplained medical emergencies at two major clinics between 2008 and 2017. Investigators believe he tampered with intravenous medicines, allegedly inducing cardiac arrests and other crises during routine surgeries.
Concerns first surfaced in 2017 when a 36-year-old woman undergoing spinal surgery suffered sudden cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation attempts, she slipped into a coma, and subsequent tests revealed dangerously high concentrations of potassium in her system. Within days, another patient, a 70-year-old man, suffered a similar adverse event.
Authorities began reviewing earlier unexplained incidents, eventually identifying 30 suspicious cases involving patients aged four to 89. Twelve of them could not be revived, despite having no prior health complications that could explain their sudden decline. In one of the earliest cases from 2008, a 53-year-old man died after a kidney operation when he received a lethal dose of lidocaine.
Families of the victims have spoken of the devastating impact. Relatives describe years of grief and unanswered questions as they await justice. For many, the idea that medical treatment intended to heal could be turned into a weapon remains almost incomprehensible.
Prosecutors argue that the accused was the common link in all the incidents and suggest he may have been motivated by professional disputes or revenge against colleagues. They contend that he manipulated medication bags and injection doses to trigger emergencies where he could then intervene.
The defendant has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining there is no proof of poisoning and suggesting he was framed. He remains under judicial supervision but at liberty throughout the trial, which is expected to continue until December. If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence, marking one of the most serious medical crime cases in France’s recent history.
