Attempted Poisoning of 30 Patients... French 'Doctor of Death' Sentenced to Life in Prison

Conflict with Colleagues... Drug Administered into IV Fluids
Twelve Patients Aged 4 to 89 Die

An anesthesiologist in France has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of attempting to poison 30 patients.

According to AFP and other sources on December 18 (local time), the Besancon court in France sentenced former anesthesiologist Frederic Pessier, 53, to life in prison. The court also imposed a minimum parole restriction of 22 years and a permanent revocation of his medical license.

Former French anesthesiologist Frederic Pessier is arriving at the Besancon court in eastern France on the 15th (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Pessier, who worked as an anesthesiologist in the Besancon region of France from 2008 to 2017, was tried on charges of deliberately attempting to poison 30 pediatric and adult patients. Of those 30 patients, 12 died. The youngest victim was reportedly 4 years old, and the oldest was 89.

The allegations against him first surfaced in 2017, when a 36-year-old patient suffered cardiac arrest during spinal surgery. Subsequent investigations found a lethal dose of potassium in the patient's IV bag. Although Pessier was initially released due to insufficient evidence after being questioned, he became a subject of ongoing police investigation, and further suspicions of murder soon emerged.

He Completely Denies the Charges... "Will Appeal"

Prosecutors argued that Pessier deliberately contaminated the intravenous fluids prepared by other anesthesiologists in order to create emergencies, thereby discrediting colleagues with whom he had conflicts and showcasing his own resuscitation skills by reviving the patients himself. This was because Pessier was consistently the first to respond and administer emergency measures in such situations. The prosecution denounced him as "a doctor of death, a poisoner, a murderer," stating, "He has brought shame to all doctors and turned the hospital into a cemetery."

However, Pessier has not admitted to any wrongdoing. Since the beginning of the investigation, he has consistently denied the charges, stating, "I did not do it." His attorney claimed that there is no definitive evidence proving the crime and announced plans to appeal. An appeal can be filed within 10 days, and if accepted, a retrial will be held within one year.