Doctor under scrutiny denies allegations of tampering with intravenous fluid bags.

Defendant Physician Denies Allegations of Tainted IV Bag

An anesthesiologist, Frédéric Péchier, is standing trial in Besançon, France, accused of poisoning 30 patients and causing the deaths of 12 between 2008 and 2017. The trial, unprecedented in French judicial history, is set to run until December 19, 2025.

The investigation into Péchier began in 2017 after a 36-year-old mother suffered cardiac arrest during a routine operation and traces of a life-threatening dose of potassium were found in the infusion bag used. As the investigation expanded, it revealed numerous similar cases of potential poisonings. The investigators suspect that Péchier deliberately put patients of doctors with whom he was in a personal dispute or rivalry in mortal danger or killed them, in order to damage their reputation and discredit them.

The trial will see 155 witnesses and 15 experts take the stand, with 156 co-plaintiffs represented by 54 lawyers. Four dead patients were exhumed, and poisonous substances were found. In 23 of the cases, Péchier is said to have attempted to revive the patients.

Péchier portrays himself as a victim of a conspiracy by other doctors, with a rival doctor supposedly behind it. However, he denies all allegations and claims to be a victim of a medical conspiracy. There is no definitive proof in this case, the prosecution relies on a series of "serious and consistent" elements.

It is important to note that the trial has nothing to do with euthanasia; Péchier is accused of poisoning mostly healthy patients to harm colleagues with whom he had disputes. If convicted, Péchier faces a possible life sentence. The defendant has been barred from practicing medicine since the start of the investigation but has remained free under judicial supervision until the start of the trial.

This trial is a significant event in French judicial history, and the outcome will have far-reaching implications for the medical community in France and beyond. The trial is expected to shed light on the darker side of the medical profession and the lengths some may go to in order to harm their colleagues. Stay tuned for updates on this unprecedented trial.