Summary: A 44-year-old palliative care nurse has been sentenced to life imprisonment after an Aachen court found he murdered 10 patients and attempted to kill 27 more at a Würselen hospital, allegedly to lighten his night-shift workload. The court cited a "particular severity of guilt," which typically rules out early release. Prosecutors say he used morphine and midazolam and showed no remorse; exhumations are underway and further charges may follow. The case has drawn comparisons to the earlier Niels Högel murders and renewed attention on clinical oversight.
German Palliative Nurse Sentenced to Life for Killing 10 Patients, Attempted 27 More
Summary: A 44-year-old palliative care nurse has been sentenced to life imprisonment after an Aachen court found he murdered 10 patients and attempted to kill 27 more at a Würselen hospital, allegedly to lighten his night-shift workload. The court cited a "particular severity of guilt," which typically rules out early release. Prosecutors say he used morphine and midazolam and showed no remorse; exhumations are underway and further charges may follow. The case has drawn comparisons to the earlier Niels Högel murders and renewed attention on clinical oversight.
03:44, 06.11.2025Society
German palliative care nurse jailed for life after fatal injections
A court in Aachen has sentenced a 44-year-old palliative care nurse to life imprisonment after finding he murdered 10 patients and attempted to kill 27 others at a hospital in Würselen. Judges applied a finding of a "particular severity of guilt," a legal designation in Germany that normally rules out early release on parole.
How the crimes were carried out
Prosecutors say the defendant — whose name is being withheld under Germany's strict privacy rules — gave large doses of sedatives and painkillers, including morphine and midazolam, to mainly elderly and vulnerable patients. The court heard these injections were intended to reduce the nurse's workload on night shifts.
Psychological and legal findings
During the trial, experts testified the defendant had a diagnosed personality disorder and displayed no compassion or remorse. Prosecutors described him as having worked "without enthusiasm" and becoming irritated by patients who required more care. Exhumations have been carried out to identify possible additional victims, and prosecutors said further charges may follow as the investigation continues.
Context: The case has been compared to the convictions of nurse Niels Högel, who received a life sentence in 2019 for killing dozens of patients. Such cases have prompted renewed scrutiny of patient safety and oversight in medical settings.
The defendant was arrested in summer 2024. He trained as a nurse in 2007 and worked for several employers, including in Cologne, before joining the Würselen hospital in 2020.
Legal note: The court's determination of "particular severity of guilt" is significant: in Germany it generally prevents the possibility of parole after a standard minimum term and signals the gravity of the offences.
Investigations remain ongoing as authorities seek to establish whether there are further victims and whether additional prosecutions are warranted.