In 2019, German nurse Niels Högel (born 30 December 1976 in Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony) was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering 85 patients at two hospitals in northern Germany. The shocking verdict marks one of the darkest chapters in medical history and has prompted renewed discussions on hospital accountability and patient safety across Germany.

Högel worked as an intensive care nurse at hospitals in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst between 1999 and 2005. During this time, a disturbing pattern of sudden cardiac arrests emerged. Investigations revealed that Högel injected patients with unprescribed heart medications that induced cardiac arrest, after which he would attempt to resuscitate them to appear as a hero.

Death rates in the wards where he worked more than doubled during his shifts. Colleagues and hospital administrators began to notice irregularities, but concrete action was delayed until 2005, when suspicions became undeniable.

Authorities stopped Högel’s killing spree in 2005 after they caught him giving an unprescribed drug to a patient at the Delmenhorst hospital. A court sentenced him to seven years in prison for attempted murder in 2008, and the victims’ families pushed investigators to reopen the case, which later revealed many more deaths.

In 2014, following renewed investigations, prosecutors brought additional charges that led to a new trial. Högel was first sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2015 for several murders and attempted murders before the larger 2019 case expanded the count.

On June 6, 2019, the regional court in Oldenburg found Högel guilty of 85 murders. He had already been serving a life sentence for previous convictions when this second ruling confirmed him as one of Germany’s most prolific serial killers.

During the trial, Högel confessed to 43 killings but claimed he could not remember 52 other cases. He was acquitted in 15 cases due to insufficient evidence. The court ruled that his actions showed “particular severity of guilt,” meaning he would not be eligible for parole after the usual 15-year minimum.

The verdict became legally final on 11 September 2020, after appeals were rejected. Investigators also believe the true number of victims may exceed 85 because many bodies were cremated before toxicology tests could be performed.

Judge Sebastian Bührmann described the crimes as “beyond comprehension,” stating that Högel’s actions reflected a pursuit of recognition rather than compassion.

The trial lasted two years and was attended by grieving families seeking answers. Many relatives said the verdict brought partial closure but not peace. Some still do not know whether their loved ones were among the victims, as many bodies had been cremated before toxicology tests could confirm poisoning.

Several families called Högel’s courtroom apology hollow and self-serving. “He stole so many lives just to look like a hero,” one victim’s son said.

During sentencing, Judge Sebastian Buehrmann expressed deep regret that the court could not provide full clarity to many grieving families, acknowledging that unanswered questions still surround several of the deaths.

In February 2022, a trial opened against seven former supervisors from the hospitals in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst who were accused of ignoring warning signs about Högel’s conduct. They were acquitted in September 2022, after both prosecution and defense agreed there was insufficient evidence to convict. The decision disappointed many families who had hoped for broader accountability.

The Högel case remains a grim benchmark in German healthcare, as similar tragedies have resurfaced. In 2023–2024, another male nurse in Germany was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 27 patients in a palliative care unit to reduce his workload during night shifts. MedBound Times earlier covered this story, which once again highlighted alarming gaps in hospital monitoring and staff oversight.

The recurrence of such crimes has reignited national debate on the adequacy of hospital supervision and patient-safety mechanisms.

(Rh/ARC/MSM)