A court in eastern France has sentenced a former anaesthetist, Frédéric Péchier, to life imprisonment for deliberately poisoning dozens of hospital patients in one of the most shocking medical crime cases in the country’s history.
The ruling, delivered by a criminal court in Besançon, found Péchier guilty of intentionally contaminating infusion bags with toxic substances, causing cardiac arrests and severe internal bleeding in 30 patients. At least 12 victims died as a result of the poisonings, according to prosecutors.
Among the victims was a four-year-old child who suffered two cardiac arrests during what was meant to be a routine tonsil operation in 2016. The child survived. The oldest victim was 89 years old.
Handing down the sentence, the court also ordered that Péchier must serve a minimum of 22 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.
During closing arguments, prosecutors described Péchier’s actions as calculated and systematic, branding him “Doctor Death” and accusing him of turning medical facilities into scenes of terror.
“You are a poisoner and a murderer. You bring shame on the medical profession,” the prosecution told the court.
Péchier was first placed under investigation eight years ago after a series of unexplained medical emergencies at two clinics in Besançon raised suspicion. Investigators later concluded that patients had been deliberately poisoned between 2008 and 2017.
The case emerged following the ordeal of Sandra Simard, believed to be the earliest known victim. Then aged 36, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during spinal surgery but survived after Péchier intervened. She later fell into a coma.
Laboratory tests later revealed that Simard’s infusion bags contained potassium levels up to 100 times higher than the prescribed dosage, prompting hospital authorities to alert prosecutors and triggering a lengthy criminal investigation.
Over the course of a 15-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing a pattern of deliberate tampering with infusion bags, often targeting patients undergoing routine, low-risk procedures.
Péchier repeatedly denied responsibility for the poisonings, insisting he had always respected the Hippocratic oath.
“I am not a poisoner,” he told the court. “I have always acted as a doctor.”
The judges rejected his defence, concluding that the poisonings were intentional and methodically carried out.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Péchier had remained at liberty throughout the trial. Under French law, he has 10 days to file an appeal, which would result in a retrial before a new court within a year.
The verdict has deeply shaken France’s medical community, raising serious concerns about patient safety, hospital oversight and trust in healthcare institutions.
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