- Investigation against doctor - Forensic examines cause of death
In the course of investigations against a palliative doctor involving four deceased female patients, forensic examinations are now required to determine the exact cause of death. According to the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, no further exhumations are planned at this time. So far, the remains of one woman have been recovered and examined, with no further details provided due to ongoing investigations.
A 39-year-old doctor is being investigated for suspected manslaughter and arson. He has been in custody since Tuesday. The doctor, who had been working in the palliative team of a care service since the beginning of the year, is suspected of killing women aged 72 to 94 in their homes between June 11 and July 24 using currently unknown methods. He then allegedly set fire to the scenes to cover up his actions.
Search for a motive
The patients, who were seriously ill at the time of the crime, were not in an acute phase of dying, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The motive of the man is still unclear. The authorities do not suspect a robbery, as no valuable items are missing from the patients' homes or in the Berlin district of Plänterwald. There are also no indications of an assisted suicide.
"We can tell you that the entire matter is incomprehensible to us and we are deeply shocked," the care service was quoted as saying by RBB. The full clarification of the facts now has top priority. "And we are cooperating fully with the investigations of the Public Prosecutor's Office." Initially, the police had been investigating arson resulting in death, during which the doctor came increasingly into focus. Tips from the care service contributed to this, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The authority announced that it would review the files of all patients or clients who the doctor had cared for on behalf of the care service. It was not said whether other cases would also be examined. According to media reports, the doctor was active in clinics and practices in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse before his activities in Berlin, according to his social media profile.
Palliative services: No peculiarities
The palliative services expressed their shock. The staff of the palliative services in the Neukölln district, where the suspect had accommodated patients in recent years, are stunned, said a spokesman. There were no peculiarities or indications of anything suspicious, he said.
The suspect was not an employee of the palliative services, according to the spokesman. Palliative care is usually provided at home. If the care needs to be more intensive, the doctor admits his patients to a hospice, where they are cared for accordingly. The local staff then takes care of the care.
The goal is to make life possible until the end, not to end it, said the spokesman of the palliative services. He spoke of a terrible isolated case. In palliative care, one is affected and shocked because one could not have expected this. The mutual trust necessary for the demanding work should not be damaged.
The investigation involves four deceased women who were patients of the suspect doctor. The care service in Neukölln, where the suspect had accommodated patients, stated that there were no peculiarities or indications of anything suspicious regarding the doctor's work in palliative care.
