A German court on Wednesday sentenced a 44-year-old former nurse to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of killing ten patients and attempting to murder twenty-seven others while working at a palliative care unit in western Germany.

The Regional Court in Aachen ruled that the nurse had deliberately administered lethal overdoses of painkillers and sedatives to severely ill patients between 2023 and 2024. The court described the acts as “particularly cruel and inhumane,” emphasizing that the victims were already vulnerable individuals receiving end-of-life care.

Prosecutor Marius Saalmann said the accused exhibited signs of a severe personality disorder and narcissistic tendencies.

“He worked in a profession he never wanted,” Saalmann told the court. “He could not bear the sight of the patients’ suffering. That is why he decided to end their lives by giving them overdoses of painkillers and sedatives.”

The prosecutor argued that the defendant fully understood the potentially fatal effects of the doses he administered and showed no compassion for patients who, despite their illnesses, still had a will to live.

Defense attorneys, however, painted a starkly different picture, insisting that their client never intended to harm anyone. They argued that the patients’ deaths could have been the result of their preexisting terminal conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, rather than medication overdoses.

In his final statement to the court, the former nurse maintained his innocence, saying his actions were driven by a desire to comfort the patients.

“I wanted to do something good for them,” he said. “The patients should sleep, because sleep is the best medicine after all. I never thought the sedatives would be so dangerous.”

Following the verdict, prosecutors in Aachen confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Authorities are reviewing several other deaths linked to the defendant’s previous employment at other medical institutions, raising the possibility of additional charges.

If confirmed, this case could become one of the worst serial killing incidents in Germany’s recent medical history, echoing earlier cases involving health care workers who used their access to medication to end patients’ lives.

The court’s ruling brings an end to the months-long trial that has shocked Germany’s medical community and reignited debate over oversight and psychological evaluation of medical professionals working with vulnerable patients.

The defendant will serve a life sentence, with the possibility of parole only after 15 years, though judges noted the severity of his crimes could justify a permanent incarceration. (ILKHA)