A German palliative care doctor has been accused of killing 15 of his patients using a cocktail of deadly drugs.
Berlin prosecutors accused the 40-year-old youth of setting fire to some of his suspect victims to cover his tracks.
He is said to have killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024, although prosecutors have said they believe the common may rise.
The doctor, who is not indicated by strict confidentiality laws in Germany, has not recognized the allegations, prosecutors said.
He is accused of administration of anesthetic and muscle relaxation of his patients without their knowledge or consent.
The relaxator “paralyzes the respiratory muscles, leading to arrest and death in the respirator within minutes,” the prosecutor's office said.
He has worked in several German countries and the ages of those whose deaths are treated as suspicious range from 25 to 94.
It is also alleged that the suspected set fire to the apartments of their alleged victims to cover up the killings in five different cases.
The suspect was accused of killing two patients for one day in July 2024-75 a man at his home in central Berlin and a 76-year-old woman in a neighboring area “A few hours later”.
Prosecutors said the doctor tried to set fire to the woman's house, but did not succeed, adding: “When he noticed it, he announced that he had informed the woman's relative, claiming that he was standing in front of her apartment and that no one had reacted to his ringing.”
Initially, the doctor was suspected of killing four people in his care when he was arrested in August 2024, but investigations revealed other suspicious deaths, with more exhumations planned for potential victims.
The 40-year-old suspect is sought “Professional Prohibition” and “Preventive Detention”. He remains in custody.