A Berlin doctor, charged with 15 counts of murder, allegedly killed palliative care patients by administering lethal drugs without consent. He is also accused of setting fires to cover up the deaths. Investigations are ongoing, and the death toll may rise.

Prosecutors in Berlin formally charged a physician on Wednesday with 15 counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally administering fatal doses of medication to patients receiving palliative care.

The accused, now 40 years old, was a member of a nursing service’s palliative care team. Authorities allege that his actions were driven by malice and other depraved motives.

According to the Berlin public prosecutor's office, the doctor is suspected of killing 15 patients who were under the care of the nursing service between September 2021 and July 2024.

Investigators claim the man administered an anesthetic induction agent followed by a muscle relaxant—neither of which were medically indicated nor consented to by the patients. The muscle relaxant reportedly caused paralysis of the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory failure and death within minutes.

In certain instances, the suspect is also accused of setting fire to the victims' homes in an apparent attempt to conceal the crimes.

The reported victims were aged between 56 and 94.

The suspect has been held in custody since August 2024 and has so far refrained from making any statements regarding the charges. Prosecutors are also seeking a permanent professional ban, noting that the doctor previously practiced in multiple German states.

As part of the investigation, prosecutors have ordered the exhumation of several bodies, and inquiries remain ongoing in some cases. Authorities have also assembled a special team to review the suspect’s patient files in search of additional evidence.

The doctor—whose identity has not been released, in accordance with German privacy laws—initially came under suspicion in 2023 following four patient deaths that were accompanied by suspicious fires at their residences.

Investigators warn that the number of confirmed victims may increase as further potential cases dating back to 2021 continue to surface.