German nurse who killed ten patients because he wanted a lighter shift is sentenced to life in prison
A court in Wuerselen, Germany, convicted a former hospital nurse guilty of killing 10 patients and attempted to kill 27 more, and he was sentenced to life in prison. In order to reduce his burden during overnight shifts, prosecutors disclosed that he gave elderly patients large injections of sedatives and medicines, such as midazolam and morphine.
The 44-year-old male, who has not been identified publicly, started nursing school in 2007 and started working at a hospital in Wuerselen in 2020, when the alleged crimes occurred. According to reports, he was impatient with patients who had high needs. He acted as though he had authority over life and death, according to the prosecution.
The offenses were committed from December 2023 to May 2024. Investigators have opened further files involving possible victims following his arrest earlier this year. Now, as part of the enlarged probe, some bodies are being unearthed.
He is not eligible for early parole since the court determined that his offenses had a “particular severity of guilt.” He is still able to appeal the decision, though.
This unsettling story brings to mind Niels Högel, a former nurse who was found guilty in 2019 of the murders of 85 patients.
