Life Sentence for French 'Dr. Death' for Poisoning Patients

French anesthesiologist Frédéric Péchier, 53, dubbed 'Dr. Death,' has been sentenced to life in prison for deliberately poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died. The court found him guilty, rejecting his claims of innocence.

Prosecutor Christine de Curraize argued that Péchier had a 'perverse need for power' and poisoned patients to cope with his own feelings of inadequacy and to expose his colleagues. Thérèse Brunisso called Péchier 'not a doctor, but a criminal.'

The case concerns incidents in two private clinics in Besançon between 2008 and 2017. During the trial, more than 70 cases of 'serious adverse events' were examined.

Of particular importance was the testimony of Teddy, who suffered two cardiac arrests at the age of four during a tonsil surgery in 2016. His father testified that his child was used as a means of 'settling scores' between doctors.