Friday, 29 March, 2024
HomeMedico-LegalFrench anaesthetist poisoning suspect appears in court

French anaesthetist poisoning suspect appears in court

MedicoLegalFranceAn anaesthetist suspected of poisoning seven patients – two of whom died – has appeared in court in France, reports BBC News. The 45-year-old was placed under formal investigation on 6 March, and magistrates are deciding whether to remand him in custody.

Several alleged victims attended the hearing.

The report says the suspect denies the charges, with his lawyer saying there are "real weaknesses" in the case against him.

He is accused of carrying out the premeditated poisonings over a nine-year period from 2008 at two clinics – the Franche-Comté and Saint-Vicente – in Besançon, a city in eastern France. According to the investigation, "lethal doses of potassium and anaesthetic" were administered to seven patients, aged from 37 to 53.

The report quotes a judge as saying that they all suffered cardiac arrest. A 53-year-old man died in 2008 during a kidney operation, and a 51-year-old woman died in 2016 during an operation on a fracture.

The report says about 40 other poisoning cases dating from the last 20 years are also being investigated. They account for about 20 additional fatalities.

[link url="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39428713"]BBC News report[/link]

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