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Universitätsklinikum Essen (archive): Investigations against a doctor
Photo: Gottfried Czepluch / imago images
A senior physician at the Essen University Hospital is said to have administered medication to two terminally ill men in their last phase of life, which led to their immediate death.
The investigators accuse the 44-year-old man of manslaughter.
A homicide squad is investigating.
The accused only gave information on one case, the police told Essen.
The doctor stated that he wanted to end the further suffering of the patient and his relatives.
Medic in custody
The two men, aged 47 and 50, were patients on the senior doctor's ward, according to the police.
You were in a very critical state of health.
One died on November 13th, the other on November 17th.
The doctor was arrested on November 18th.
A day later, a judge ordered detention.
The doctor announced that he had been working at the university clinic since February.
"There is a suspicion that in probably two cases the physician administered an agent to a dying patient in the last phase of death in order to bring about immediate death," it said in a message.
The clinic immediately informed the public prosecutor of the suspicion.
The medic was immediately taken out of service.
It is not yet known which ward the doctor worked on.
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bbr / dpa