BREAKING: German Nurse Jailed for Life After Killing 10 Patients to “Ease Night Shifts” – Fellow Nurses Africa
By Fellow Nurses Africa Editorial Team
November 6, 2025 – Lagos, Nigeria
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the global nursing community, a palliative care nurse in western Germany has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 10 elderly patients and the attempted murder of 27 others – all to reduce his workload during night shifts.
The unnamed nurse, employed at a hospital in Würselen since 2020, was convicted in Aachen Regional Court after a trial that exposed chilling details of calculated medical betrayal.
The Crimes: Lethal Injections to “Lighten the Load”
Between December 2023 and May 2024, the nurse administered overdoses of morphine and midazolam – a powerful sedative – to vulnerable patients under his care.
“He played master of life and death,” prosecutors told the court, accusing him of targeting patients who required intensive attention, showing “irritation and a complete lack of empathy.”
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The court ruled the crimes carried “particular severity of guilt,” blocking any chance of early release after 15 years – a rare and severe measure under German law.
Arrest & Ongoing Investigation
The nurse was arrested in 2024 following an internal hospital probe. Exhumations are now underway to examine additional suspicious deaths linked to his 17-year career, which began after he qualified in 2007.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Echoes of Niels Högel – Germany’s Deadliest Nurse
This case draws haunting parallels to Niels Högel, convicted in 2019 of murdering 85 patients across two northern German hospitals between 1999 and 2005 using heart medication.
Högel remains Germany’s most prolific serial killer in modern history.
Message to Fellow Nurses
This tragedy is a stark reminder of the immense responsibility we carry – and the moral duty to protect the vulnerable, even under pressure.
Night shifts are tough. Staffing shortages are real. But no workload justifies harm.
Let this be a call to:
- Speak up about unsafe staffing
- Demand mental health support for night shift workers
- Strengthen oversight in palliative and elderly care units
Your patient’s life is not a burden. It is your purpose.
Fellow Nurses Africa stands with ethical healthcare workers worldwide.
Report concerns. Protect lives. Uphold the oath.
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Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
