Life imprisonment for German doctor who killed 15 patients

In an incident that shocked Germany, a Berlin court began the trial of a 40-year-old German doctor accused of killing 15 patients under his care in a palliative care unit, a unit designed to alleviate the suffering of terminally ill patients.

Prosecutors filed an indictment against the doctor, known by the media as "Johannes M." In compliance with German privacy laws, the indictment includes 15 counts of premeditated murder, in addition to "vile motives" for committing his crimes. The prosecution is seeking the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, along with a permanent ban on the doctor from practicing medicine, as well as permanent preventive suspension after the expiry of his sentence, if necessary, according to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia.

In the German judicial system, a prisoner can request release after 15 years of a life sentence. However, if a "very serious crime" is proven, this right is denied, which is what the prosecution is demanding in this case.

The charges do not stop at murder alone; the accused is also suspected of setting fires in the homes of some of the victims to conceal evidence of the crimes he committed. He was arrested in August of last year and has since been in pretrial detention.

In another development, the prosecution announced that it is investigating dozens of other suspicious cases linked to the same doctor. However, these are being conducted as separate proceedings from the current trial, indicating that his victim toll is likely much higher.