Zuko Komisa

- A French court has jailed former anaesthetist Frédéric Péchier for life for poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died, between 2008 and 2017.
- Prosecutors established that Péchier contaminated infusion bags to trigger medical emergencies, including cardiac arrests, in victims as young as four.
- Reporting by the BBC confirms the 54-year-old must serve at least 22 years in prison, though he maintains his innocence and may appeal.
A former anaesthetist has been sentenced to life imprisonment in eastern France after being found guilty of intentionally poisoning 30 patients, resulting in 12 deaths.
The court in Besançon ruled that Frédéric Péchier systematically contaminated infusion bags with substances designed to trigger cardiac arrests or haemorrhaging.
According to the BBC, the 54-year-old will serve a minimum of 22 years behind bars for a decade-long campaign of harm carried out between 2008 and 2017 at two local clinics.
The trial, which spanned 15 weeks, detailed a chilling pattern of “arsonist-firefighter” behaviour. Prosecutors argued that Péchier deliberately engineered medical emergencies so he could “save” the patients and bolster his professional reputation.
One survivor, Sandra Simard, suffered a cardiac arrest during spinal surgery; subsequent tests revealed potassium levels 100 times the expected dose in her IV bag.
His youngest victim was reportedly a four-year-old child who survived two cardiac arrests during a routine tonsillectomy.
Throughout the proceedings, Péchier maintained his innocence, claiming to have upheld his Hippocratic oath.
Péchier, who remained at liberty during the trial, has 10 days to appeal the verdict. If he chooses to do so, a second trial would be expected within the coming year.
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