Frédéric Péssier, a former anesthesiologist, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for intentionally poisoning 30 patients, leading to the deaths of 12. His trial, one of France’s largest medical malpractice cases, revealed that he added harmful chemicals, such as potassium chloride and adrenaline, to IV bags. The youngest victim was a four-year-old child who survived cardiac arrests during surgery, while the oldest was 89.
Péssier was described by prosecutors as a “murderer” who turned a clinic into a “graveyard.” Using his position, he created emergency situations that allowed him to act as a savior, though in some cases, his interventions came too late. Prosecutors asserted that his actions stemmed from a grudge against a fellow anesthesiologist, manipulating the IV bags before surgeries.
An investigation into Péssier began in 2017 after abnormal amounts of potassium were discovered in an IV bag linked to a patient experiencing a heart attack. The rate of fatal heart attacks at the clinic he worked at was significantly higher than the national average, and unusual adverse events ceased when he was banned from practice.
During the trial, Péssier sometimes acknowledged that patients might have been poisoned but denied any wrongdoing, insisting he upheld the Hippocratic Oath. Despite his defense claiming a lack of solid evidence against him, his testimony was inconsistent. A forensic psychologist described his personality as a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” type.
After the verdict, survivors expressed relief, highlighting the psychological weight of the case. Péssier’s family remained distressed, as he faces the possibility of an appeal.
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