Doctor in fear of death: threats led to tragic suicide!

Doctor in fear of death: threats led to tragic suicide!

The tragedy about the doctor Kellermayr, who works from her ordination in Austria, throws a shadow on the debate about dealing with threats to medical staff. According to Kleine Zeitung , Kellermayr was a passionate vaccine advocate that was massively under pressure during the Corona pandemic. She received threats about email and social media, which, according to the process, presumably came from opponents of vaccination.

On November 22, 2021, Kellermayr presented for the first time. But the situation escalated: In the summer of 2022 she closed her ordination for security reasons and a few weeks later she committed suicide. The drohnachrichten came from a Darknet user named "Claas", who sent terrible death and torture threats, as well as from a defendant German who presented them in front of a "folk tribunal" via email and Twitter (today X). This defendant denies the allegations, sees himself in a mutual argument and not guilty.

psychological stress in healthcare

Reporting on the Kellermayr case also lives a light on a broader problem: the mental health of doctors and nursing staff. According to a survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), sick leave is particularly common due to mental illnesses in health and social affairs. A report by ÄrzteBlatt conducts a survey on mental health and the well -being of medical and nursing staff with the European Commission. The aim is to collect information about improving working conditions.

The survey will ask doctors and nurses in the 27 Member States of the EU as well as in Norway and Iceland. Participation is anonymous and the online questionnaire is aimed at all currently active professionals, regardless of their work environment or their specialty. The results of this important survey are to be published in 2025.

The effects of the threats

In the process of Kellermayr's death, witnesses reported their overwhelming feeling of threat. A witness mentioned that Kellermayr expressed concrete thoughts of suicide, but agreed to go to treatment. A former employee also confirmed that Kellermayr was afraid, especially "Claas". In a farewell letter, Kellermayr picked up the defendant's threats. A data expert helped her identify the senders of the threats; The accused was relatively easy to find because he wrote with his own address.

The process will be followed up with a judgment that is planned for April 9. If the accused is convicted, he threatens between prison between one and ten years.