A German palliative care doctor has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of murdering 15 of his patients over nearly three years. Get today's headlines by email A court in Berlin found the 41-year-old doctor, identified only as Johannes M. under German privacy laws, guilty of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024. Victims Killed During Home VisitsThe victims ranged in age from 25 to 94. Although they were all seriously ill, the court heard that none were believed to be close to death at the time they were killed. Prosecutors said the doctor administered a fatal combination of medications to patients during home visits without their knowledge or consent. Fires Allegedly Used to Conceal CrimesThe court also heard that the doctor allegedly set fires on several occasions in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the killings. According to prosecutors, shortly before his arrest in July 2024, he killed two patients on the same day. A 75-year-old man died at his home in central Berlin, followed a few hours later by a 76-year-old woman in a neighbouring district. Prosecutors said the doctor attempted to set fire to the woman's home but was unsuccessful. Confession During TrialFor much of the year-long trial, the doctor remained silent. However, last month he admitted to killing 12 of his severely ill patients. He told the court that he had persuaded himself he was acting in their best interests by ending what he described as their suffering and infirmity. The doctor apologised for the pain he had caused and said he intended to cooperate more fully in future legal proceedings. Dozens More Cases Under InvestigationAuthorities believe the 15 confirmed murders may represent only part of the doctor's alleged crimes. Prosecutors are investigating 76 additional cases involving former patients. German media have reported that, if further charges are proven and result in convictions, the case could become one of the largest serial murder cases in Germany's history. During the trial, relatives of several victims described their shock and grief. The mother of the youngest victim, a 25-year-old woman who died in 2021, told the court her daughter had never expressed a wish to die. The son of a 72-year-old woman who died in 2024 said his mother had been planning a trip to the Baltic Sea with her sister and wanted to continue living. The court ruled that the doctor's guilt was particularly severe, making early release highly unlikely. In addition to the life sentence, judges ordered preventive detention after the prison term if necessary and imposed a lifetime ban on practising medicine. Join the discussion? 8 July 2026
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