Process start against anesthetist: 30 poisoning in France!

Process start against anesthetist: 30 poisoning in France!

The trial against the former anesthetist Frédéric Péchier began on Monday in Besançon, East France. The 53-year-old doctor is accused of becoming guilty in two private clinics between 2008 and 2017, poisoned 30 patients and killed 12 of them. This unprecedented case in France, which could not only trigger legal but also social response, are compared to 156 co -plaintiffs who are represented by 54 lawyers. Prosecutor Etienne Manteaux describes the charges as exceptional and emphasizes that the evidence has serious and matching elements, but do not provide final evidence.

Péchier, who was considered a respected doctor, is said to have administered high -dose toxins that led to cardiac atrises in the patients. The age group of its victims ranges from 4 to 89 years. The investigation was initiated in 2017 after severe heart disorders occurred during routine operations. An investigation showed that the infusions have potentially fatal overdoses. In 23 cases, Péchier supposedly tried to revive the patients, but this does not reduce the suspicion.

Psychological problems and suspicion of plot

The accused sees himself as a victim of a complotting by colleagues and denies all allegations of poisoning. His defense emphasizes that the incidents are due to third parties. Péchier himself has psychological problems and made several attempts at suicide, which interpret some of his supporters as a possible reference to his burden in the medical community. Despite these difficulties, he remains in freedom until the start of the trial, but without the opportunity to continue working as a doctor.

The indictment assumes that Péchier deliberately poisoned healthy patients to harm colleagues in personal disputes or rivalries. An example of the suspected motif is the case of a colleague in whom a patient died during a harmless operation after a high concentration of lidocaine has been found. The process extends over more than three and a half months until a judgment can be expected on December 19, 2025.

Violence in healthcare

In parallel to this case, the medical community also discusses the safety of doctors. The Federal Medical Association recently pointed out the rising violence against medical staff who have achieved an unacceptable level. In the past five years, almost half of all resident doctors in Germany have been victims of physical violence. According to the police crime statistics, there has been a massive increase in raw crime in the healthcare sector since 2019.

Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, President of the Federal Medical Association, calls for better protection for doctors and emergency services. The European day against violence in healthcare, organized by the European Association of Medical Associations (CEOM), is intended to help to draw attention to these problems. A climate of respect within society and healthcare is an important goal to counteract the increasing tensions.