In a horrifying case that has shocked Germany, a 44-year-old palliative nurse was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for murdering 10 elderly patients and attempting to kill 27 others simply because he “didn’t want to do his job.”
The Aachen District Court in western Germany found the nurse — whose name has not been disclosed under privacy laws — guilty of administering lethal injections to patients under his care between December 2023 and May 2024 at a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. The court ruled out the possibility of parole, stating that the crimes displayed a “particular severity of guilt.”
Lethal Injections to ‘Avoid Work’
According to prosecutors, the nurse injected patients with morphine and midazolam — a sedative also used in executions in the United States — so that he could relax during his night shifts instead of tending to them.
Investigators revealed that he acted out of laziness and lack of empathy, showing “irritation and frustration” toward patients who required more intensive care.
“He tried to play the master of life and death over those in his care,” prosecutors said, adding that he showed no remorse during the trial, which began in March 2025.
Court psychiatrists testified that the man suffered from a personality disorder marked by narcissism and emotional detachment.
The court’s judgment stated that his crimes were not motivated by mercy, but by a desire for convenience and control.
A Pattern of Horror
Authorities have begun exhuming additional patients as part of an extended investigation amid fears that the nurse may have killed more people. Prosecutors hinted at possible new charges if more victims are confirmed.
The man began his career in 2007, working at multiple medical facilities before joining the Würselen hospital, where the crimes occurred.
The case has drawn comparisons to one of Germany’s darkest criminal episodes — Niels Högel, a nurse convicted of killing 85 patients between 2000 and 2005, making him Germany’s most prolific serial killer.
In a similarly disturbing case, Johannes M, a 40-year-old palliative care specialist, went on trial in July 2025 for killing 15 patients and even setting fire to some of their homes to hide his crimes.
The repeated emergence of such cases has reignited debate over monitoring in healthcare institutions and the need for psychological screening of medical staff.
Public Outrage and Reaction
The case has sparked widespread outrage in Germany, with victims’ families demanding stricter oversight in hospitals.
“This is not just one man’s crime — it’s a systemic failure,” said a relative of one victim outside the court.
German media have described the incident as another “dark chapter in the nation’s medical history.”
Source: WIONews
