A former French anaesthetist has been sentenced to life in prison after a court found he deliberately poisoned 30 hospital patients over nearly a decade, causing the deaths of 12 of them.
Frédéric Péchier was convicted in Besançon of tampering with infusion bags using toxic substances that triggered cardiac arrests or severe bleeding in patients aged between four and 89.
Investigators linked the crimes to incidents at two clinics between 2008 and 2017, after abnormal potassium levels were discovered in medical equipment used during routine surgeries.
Prosecutors described Péchier as a serial killer who betrayed the medical profession, while the court imposed a minimum term of 22 years before parole eligibility.
Throughout the 15-week trial, Péchier denied responsibility despite acknowledging that some patients may have been poisoned. He remains free pending a potential appeal, which he has 10 days to file.
