December 18, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
A French criminal court has sentenced 53‑year‑old former anaesthetist Frédéric Péchier to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of intentionally poisoning 30 patients, including children and elderly adults, in a case that shocked France and raised serious questions about medical ethics and patient safety. Prosecutors said 12 of the poisoned victims died as a direct result of the doctor’s actions between 2008 and 2017 at private clinics in Besançon, eastern France.
The Doubs Assize Court delivered the verdict on Thursday, following a three‑month trial marked by extensive testimony from forensic experts, surviving victims and bereaved families. Judge Delphine Thibierge ordered Péchier to begin serving his sentence immediately, with a minimum term of at least 22 years before eligibility for parole — a term reflecting the severity and premeditation of the crimes.
According to the prosecution, Péchier’s crimes involved deliberate contamination of infusion bags with toxic substances such as potassium, local anaesthetics, adrenaline and anticoagulants. These substances were introduced into patients’ intravenous fluids during surgery, causing sudden cardiac arrest or severe haemorrhaging. The victims ranged in age from a four‑year‑old child — who survived two cardiac arrests during routine surgery — to an 89‑year‑old elderly patient.
Prosecutors portrayed Péchier as a doctor whose motive was not only malicious but also deeply disturbing. They argued he sought to discredit colleagues and assert himself as a medical hero by then intervening in the very emergencies he had engineered a behaviour some described as a perverse strategy to “psychologically hurt” coworkers and satisfy a “thirst for power.”
The case first came to light in 2017, when a series of unusual cardiac arrests in low‑risk surgical procedures prompted an investigation that eventually uncovered a broader pattern of suspicious incidents linked to Péchier’s presence. Forensic analysis revealed anomalously high levels of potassium and other chemicals in patients’ infusion fluids, triggering a broader probe that ultimately identified 30 poisoning cases.
During the trial, Péchier denied being a poisoner, at times suggesting that unexplained medical events were due to “medical errors” by others. At one point he conceded a poisoner was at work in the clinics, but maintained it was not him. Despite his denials, the court found the evidence compelling and consistent across multiple cases. His lawyers said they intend to appeal the life sentence, a legal avenue available under French law.
The verdict brought a measure of closure to families devastated by the poisonings. Survivors and relatives described the ruling as a long‑awaited affirmation of justice, with some expressing hope that the case will prompt improvements in patient safety protocols and stronger safeguards against abuse within healthcare systems.
The “Doctor Death” case as Péchier was dubbed by prosecutors has drawn international attention not only for the number of victims but also for the breach of trust inherent in a healthcare professional using medical knowledge to harm rather than heal. It stands as one of the most notorious medical crimes in recent French history, underscoring the importance of vigilant oversight and the ethical obligations that underpin medical practice.