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Former nurse admits to killing 100 patients

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 31 Oct 2018, 10:58AM
The defendant covers his face with a folder as he arrives at the Oldenburg district court at the Weser Ems halls in Oldenburg, Germany. Photos / AP

Former nurse admits to killing 100 patients

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 31 Oct 2018, 10:58AM

A former nurse in northern Germany has admitted to deliberately killing 100 patients as he went on trial today.

Niels Hoegel is accused of murdering of randomly selected patients by injecting them with medication which caused heart failure and other complications between February 2000 and June 2005.

Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby prosecutors claim he deliberately put patients in life-threatening situations, because he was trying to show off his resuscitation skills.

"Prosecutors say he was trying to impress colleagues by truing to revive the very patients he had attacked by making look good [like] a sort of lifesaver."

The hospital is also facing questions after rumours some of Hoegel's colleagues knew about the murders, but failed to intervene.

"It's rumoured that in some instances he was caught red-handed and nothing was done by the hospital and during that time, he killed another patient."

While he has admitted to killing 100 people police believe he have killed up to 200, regardless he is still classed as one of Germany's most prolific serial killers.

When asked by the judge whether he had confessed to killing the 100 other people, whose deaths are still being investigated, Hoegel said, "yes, more or less", according to Gavin Grey. 

Hoegel is already serving a life sentence for six other crimes.

LISTEN ABOVE AS GAVIN GREY SPEAKS WITH KATE HAWKESBY 

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