- Investigation against palliative care physician - motive unclear
In the course of investigations against a palliative doctor involving four deceased female patients, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office initially has no plans for further exhumations. So far, the remains of one woman have been recovered and examined, according to a spokesperson for the authority. Autopsies are now required in all four cases to determine the exact cause of death. No further details were provided, citing ongoing investigations.
A 39-year-old doctor is being investigated for suspected manslaughter and arson. He has been in custody since Tuesday. The doctor, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, has been working in a palliative team of a care service since the beginning of the year. Between June 11 and July 24, he is suspected of having killed women aged 72 and 94 in their homes in an unknown manner and then setting fire to the scenes to cover up his actions.
Search for Motive
The seriously ill patients were not in an acute phase of dying at the time of the crime, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office. The motive of the man is still unclear. The authority does 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.
Statement from Care Service
"We can say that the entire matter is incomprehensible to us and we are deeply shocked," the "Abendschau" of the radio station RBB Berlin-Brandenburg quoted the care service. "The full clarification of the events now has the highest priority. And we are cooperating fully with the investigations of the Public Prosecutor's Office." Initially, the police had been investigating arson with fatal consequences, during which the doctor came increasingly into focus. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, this was also contributed to by hints from the care service.
The authority announced that it would review the files of all patients or clients that the doctor has treated for the care service. Whether further cases will also be examined was not said by the spokesperson. According to media reports, the doctor was active in clinics and practices in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse before his activity in Berlin, according to his social media profile.
The investigation into the doctor's suspected crimes raises concerns about potential unreported instances of crime, as the authorities plan to review his past patient files from various locations. The doctor's actions, including the suspected manslaughter and arson, are classified as criminal offenses.
