A former anaesthetist has gone on trial in the city of Besançon, in eastern France, accused of intentionally poisoning 30 people, including 12 patients who died. Frédéric Péchier, 53, considered by colleagues to be a highly-talented practitioner, was first placed under investigation eight years ago, when he was suspected of poisoning patients at two clinics in the city between 2008 and 2017. Despite the serious charges against him, Mr. Péchier has remained at liberty under judicial supervision and told French radio on Monday there was no proof of any poisoning. The trial is set to last more than three months and involves more than 150 civil parties representing the 30 alleged victims.
Allegations of poisoning emerged in January 2017, when a 36-year-old patient called Sandra Simard, who was otherwise healthy, had surgery on her spine and her heart stopped beating. After an intensive care physician failed to revive her, Frédéric Péchier gave her an injection and the patient went into a coma and survived. Intravenous drugs used to treat her then showed concentrations of potassium 100 times the expected dose and the alarm was sounded with local prosecutors.
Another serious adverse event, involving a 70-year-old man, happened within days, when Mr. Péchier claimed to have found three bags of paracetamol that had been tampered with after he had given a general anaesthetic. Mr. Péchier said at the time he was being framed but a few weeks later he was placed under formal investigation.
One of Mr. Péchier's lawyers said he had been waiting eight years to finally prove his innocence, and the former anaesthetist told RTL radio on Monday that it was a chance to lay out all the cards on the table. After I left, they still had [serious adverse events] and cardiac arrests. When I left in March 2017 they had another nine others declared afterwards, he told RTL radio.
Investigators then examined other serious adverse events dating back to 2008, involving patients aged four to 89, at the two major healthcare centers he had worked at in Besançon - the Franche-Comté Polyclinic and the Saint-Vincent Clinic. In 2009, three patients with no history of heart disease had to be resuscitated at the Franche-Comté Polyclinic during minor operations.
The prosecutors argue that he tampered with intravenous medicines to induce cardiac arrests as a means of getting revenge against colleagues, stating he was the common denominator in all the poisoning cases. If found guilty, Péchier could face life imprisonment.
Allegations of poisoning emerged in January 2017, when a 36-year-old patient called Sandra Simard, who was otherwise healthy, had surgery on her spine and her heart stopped beating. After an intensive care physician failed to revive her, Frédéric Péchier gave her an injection and the patient went into a coma and survived. Intravenous drugs used to treat her then showed concentrations of potassium 100 times the expected dose and the alarm was sounded with local prosecutors.
Another serious adverse event, involving a 70-year-old man, happened within days, when Mr. Péchier claimed to have found three bags of paracetamol that had been tampered with after he had given a general anaesthetic. Mr. Péchier said at the time he was being framed but a few weeks later he was placed under formal investigation.
One of Mr. Péchier's lawyers said he had been waiting eight years to finally prove his innocence, and the former anaesthetist told RTL radio on Monday that it was a chance to lay out all the cards on the table. After I left, they still had [serious adverse events] and cardiac arrests. When I left in March 2017 they had another nine others declared afterwards, he told RTL radio.
Investigators then examined other serious adverse events dating back to 2008, involving patients aged four to 89, at the two major healthcare centers he had worked at in Besançon - the Franche-Comté Polyclinic and the Saint-Vincent Clinic. In 2009, three patients with no history of heart disease had to be resuscitated at the Franche-Comté Polyclinic during minor operations.
The prosecutors argue that he tampered with intravenous medicines to induce cardiac arrests as a means of getting revenge against colleagues, stating he was the common denominator in all the poisoning cases. If found guilty, Péchier could face life imprisonment.
