A German nurse has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 others in a shocking case that has rocked the country’s healthcare sector.
The nurse, who worked at a hospital in Wuerselen, western Germany, was accused of deliberately injecting his mostly elderly patients with large doses of morphine and sedatives to ease his workload during night shifts. The offences took place between December 2023 and May 2024, during which several patients died under suspicious circumstances.
According to the court, the nurse’s actions demonstrated a “particular severity of guilt,” meaning he will not be eligible for early release after serving 15 years, a provision typically available under German law. The ruling effectively ensures he remains in prison for life, though he still has the right to appeal.
Investigations revealed that the nurse, who began working at the hospital in 2020, displayed irritation and a lack of empathy toward patients who required intensive care. He allegedly viewed such patients as burdens and sought to relieve himself of responsibility by administering lethal injections.
The court heard that he used morphine and midazolam—a sedative and muscle relaxant—to induce fatal overdoses. Prosecutors described him as someone who played “master of life and death,” targeting vulnerable patients to make his shifts quieter and easier to manage.
Authorities have since launched a broader investigation into his past cases, and exhumations are underway to determine whether more victims may have died at his hands. The findings could lead to additional charges and possibly another trial.
The case has drawn comparisons to that of former nurse Niels Högel, who was convicted in 2019 for murdering 85 patients at two hospitals in northern Germany. Like Högel, the Wuerselen nurse exploited his position in the healthcare system to carry out the killings undetected for months.
This latest case has reignited public debate over hospital oversight, staff shortages, and mental health pressures among medical workers, with calls for stricter monitoring of caregivers and stronger safeguards for patients in long-term and palliative care facilities.
