"To Reduce Her Workload"—Nurse Who Killed 10 Elderly Patients in Germany Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

[Financial News] A German nurse who administered lethal doses of drugs to patients in her care in order to reduce her workload has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to Yonhap News Agency on the 5th, the Aachen District Court in Germany found former nurse A (44) guilty of 10 counts of murder and 27 counts of attempted murder for administering excessive drugs to patients, and sentenced her to life in prison.
The court also imposed a lifetime ban on Nurse A from working as a nurse and denied the possibility of parole.
Nurse A, who worked at a hospital in Würselen, North Rhine-Westphalia, was brought to trial for administering sedatives, anesthetics, and painkillers to elderly patients between December 2023 and May of last year, resulting in their deaths.
Investigations revealed that among the drugs used was midazolam, a sedative employed for executions in some U.S. states.
Prosecutors stated that Nurse A was dissatisfied with her job and committed these crimes to minimize her workload during night shifts.
Nurse A reportedly testified, "Sleep is the best medicine," and claimed, "I only intended to help the patients rest well and did not realize the drugs would be so lethal."
Her attorney argued that it could not be conclusively determined that the patients, who were seriously ill, died as a result of the administered drugs, and pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are continuing to investigate whether Nurse A committed similar crimes at other hospitals where she previously worked.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Soo-yeon Reporter