Court Sentences Doctor To Life Imprisonment For Poisoning 30 Patients
A court in eastern France has sentenced a former anaesthetist, Frédéric Péchier, to life imprisonment for intentionally poisoning at least 30 patients, in one of the most disturbing medical crime cases in the country’s recent history.
The judgment was delivered by a court in Besançon, which found Péchier guilty of deliberately contaminating infusion bags with toxic substances.
The poisonings caused cardiac arrests and severe haemorrhaging in 30 patients, with at least 12 deaths linked to the acts, according to the BBC.
Among the victims was a four-year-old child who suffered two cardiac arrests during a routine tonsil operation in 2016 but survived.
The oldest victim was 89 years old. During sentencing, prosecutors strongly condemned Péchier’s actions.
“You are Doctor Death, a poisoner, a murderer. You bring shame on all doctors,” the prosecution said during closing arguments last week.
“You have turned this clinic into a graveyard,” prosecutors added.
Péchier was first placed under investigation eight years ago after a series of unexplained medical emergencies occurred at two clinics in Besançon.
Investigators later suspected that patients had been deliberately poisoned between 2008 and 2017.
The case came to light following the ordeal of Sandra Simard, believed to be Péchier’s first known victim.
Simard, who was 36 at the time, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during spinal surgery.
She survived after Péchier intervened but later slipped into a coma.
Tests carried out on her infusion bags revealed potassium levels 100 times higher than the normal dose.
Hospital officials subsequently alerted local prosecutors, triggering a lengthy criminal investigation.
During the 15-week trial, prosecutors outlined a pattern of deliberate tampering with infusion bags.
They argued that Péchier targeted patients undergoing routine procedures considered medically low-risk.
Throughout the trial, Péchier denied responsibility for the poisonings.
He admitted that some patients may have been poisoned but insisted he was not the culprit.
“I have said it before and I’ll say it again: I am not a poisoner. I have always upheld the Hippocratic oath,” he told the court.
The judges rejected his defence, ruling that the poisonings were intentional and systematic.
In addition to the life sentence, the court ordered that Péchier must serve a minimum of 22 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Despite the severity of the charges, Péchier had remained free throughout the trial.
Under French law, he has 10 days to file an appeal. If an appeal is lodged, the case will be retried before a new court within one year.
The verdict has shaken France’s medical community and raised serious concerns about patient safety, hospital oversight, and trust in the healthcare system.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
