A 40-year-old palliative care doctor in Berlin has been charged with the murder of 15 patients, including 12 women and 3 men, aged between 25 and 94. Prosecutors allege that the doctor administered a combination of anaesthetics and muscle relaxants without the patients' knowledge or consent, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes. The suspect reportedly acted out of a "lust" for killing.
In five instances, the doctor is accused of setting fires in the victims' homes to conceal the crimes. One such attempt failed when the fire did not catch, prompting the suspect to inform a relative that he was at the apartment and no one was answering the doorbell.
The case has drawn comparisons to other healthcare-related serial killings and has raised concerns about oversight in palliative care services.
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