Authorities are continuing to investigate a male nurse sentenced to life imprisonment after links were found to 139 additional suspicious cases beyond the original conviction for killing 10 patients. Nearly 40 bodies have been exhumed for further evidence examination.
Foreign news agencies reported a shocking case of a serial killer nurse in Germany after prosecutors announced on 10 Aug 2023 GMT+7 that they are investigating many more suspicious cases potentially connected to a nurse who cared for terminal or palliative patients. He was previously sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 10 patients in a hospital.
German media identified the nurse as Ulrich S., who worked at a hospital in Würselen near Aachen in western Germany. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in November last year for murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 more.
The original investigation found that the nurse administered high doses of sedatives or painkillers, mostly to elderly patients. Prosecutors said his shocking motive was to reduce his workload during night shifts.
After the life sentence, authorities continued to expand the investigation and found many more suspicious cases possibly linked to him.
Prosecutors in Aachen stated that they are currently examining 121 cases that may be connected to this nurse, with the possibility of additional charges next year.
A key part of the investigation involves exhuming the deceased for examination. So far, nearly 40 bodies have been exhumed to search for evidence of deaths related to receiving dangerously high doses of medication.
In addition to the cases under investigation by Aachen prosecutors, Cologne prosecutors are also examining 18 cases, with the oldest dating back to 2010.
Local media reported that before working at the hospital in Würselen, the nurse had worked at a care facility in Cologne. Authorities are reviewing his work history and patient deaths during that period.
Combining the cases under investigation in Aachen and Cologne, there are currently 139 suspicious cases potentially linked to this nurse.
In the already adjudicated case, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment and declared the crimes to have special severity, meaning that unlike usual life sentences in Germany where parole may be considered after 15 years, this option will not be readily available to him.
During the trial, prosecutors described the nurse’s conduct as unmotivated and completely lacking in empathy toward patients.
This case has drawn comparisons to Niels Högel, a former German nurse sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for killing 85 patients, believed to be one of the most notorious serial killers in modern Germany.
Högel committed his crimes by injecting patients with lethal doses between 2000 and 2005 before his arrest.
Meanwhile, in July this year, a palliative care doctor in Berlin was also sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 15 patients with lethal doses of sedatives. In several cases, he was accused of setting fire to victims’ apartments to conceal evidence. The doctor remains under investigation for possible involvement in additional patient deaths.
. Source:channelnewsasia
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