A court in Besançon today convicted former anaesthetist Frédéric Péchier of intentionally poisoning 30 patients and causing the deaths of 12 individuals. The 53-year-old doctor received a life sentence for crimes committed between 2008 and 2017 at two private clinics in the city.
Prosecutors labeled Péchier as "Dr Death" and a "serial killer." They proved he tampered with intravenous bags and anaesthesia pouches by adding lethal substances like potassium and local anaesthetics. These actions triggered cardiac arrests during low-risk surgeries. The court found Péchier aimed to psychologically harm colleagues in professional conflicts and satisfy his need for power.
Victims ranged from a four-year-old boy named Teddy, who survived two cardiac arrests during tonsil surgery in 2016, to an 89-year-old patient. Teddy, now 14, suffers lasting effects and described ongoing fear and physical limitations. Survivor Sandra Simard, poisoned at age 36 during back surgery in 2017, endures chronic pain that restricts her daily life.
Péchier, once hailed as a "star anaesthetist," came from a medical family, his father also practiced anaesthesia. He lived in a spacious home with his cardiologist wife and three children before their divorce. During the three month trial, Péchier denied all charges and claimed colleagues made "medical errors." He showed little emotion as Judge Delphine Thibierge delivered the verdict and ordered his immediate incarceration.
State prosecutor Christine de Curraize stated, "Péchier is not a doctor; he is a criminal who used medicine to kill." Thérèse Brunisso added that his actions targeted both patients' lives and colleagues' mental well-being. Victims' lawyer Morgane Richard called the patients "cannon-fodder" in Péchier's quest to attack rival.
Péchier's defense attorney, Ornella Spatafora, announced plans to appeal within 10 days. The Ministry of Justice emphasizes this ruling upholds accountability in healthcare and supports victims of such heinous acts.
The investigation began in 2017 after reports of suspicious "serious adverse events." Over 70 cases were reviewed, confirming Péchier's role in the poisonings.