The palliative nurse was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering 10 patients with lethal injections and attempting to murder 27 more. The court in Aachen handed him a life sentence, noting that the crime was particularly severe and he will likely not be released after 15 years, the minimum for a life sentence in Germany.

Prosecutors argued the nurse used painkillers or sedatives to ease his workload at night, targeting mostly elderly patients. The offenses occurred between December 2023 and May 2024 at a clinic near Aachen in western Germany.

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The verdict can be appealed. Investigators are also examining several other suspicious incidents from the nurse’s career, according to German media reports. This case marks Germany’s worst killing spree in the post-war era; in 2019 another former nurse was jailed for life for murdering 85 patients.

This case shows how abuse of trust in care settings can have devastating consequences. The lengthy sentence reflects the gravity and scale of the crimes, and authorities will likely review procedures to prevent similar harm in the future.