German nurse admits 100 murders

Aged 41, he is already serving a life sentence for the murder of several patients in two German hospitals. But new charges came and when the first day of the trial in Oldenburg, in northern Germany, was laid to Niels Högel, he killed one hundred patients, the answer is undoubtedly:

– Yes

The former nurse previously admitted to injecting large volumes of drugs into his patients that could lead to heart failure and circulatory collapse. The goal should have been to try to revive them and so appear as a hero and impress colleagues. Högel told him that he was bored sometimes and that he had had a kick while he was able to find the patient.

Högel was convicted of murder and murder in two previous court proceedings – but after an investigation into the remains, the case has spread to a hundred or so alleged killings. However, investigators estimate that more than 200 victims could be involved in 2000-2005. Many potential victims were cremated after their deaths and their remains can not be used as evidence.

Third try against Högel began Tuesday with a silent minute for the victims. An exhibition hall in Oldenburg has been converted into a court to accommodate the many parents on the spot. According to Judge Sebastian Bührmann, the purpose of this trial is to highlight the extent of the crime committed by Högel. He also turned directly to loved ones and apologized for the cold and legal language that will be used during the trial, which is expected to last until May of next year.

"We will do everything we can to get the truth," he said, according to Deutsche Welle.

Högel started working at the Oldenburg Hospital in 1999 and before that, the clinic had a good reputation. But the new nurse should have felt overwhelmed by her duties and started drinking while she was deeper into depression, writes the AFP news agency.

Over time, his training has been associated with an increasing number of emergencies and deaths. Högel was perceived as an accident and his colleagues tried to avoid working with him. In 2002, the hospital tried to get rid of him by promising positive references if he stopped only as soon as possible. However, no internal investigation has been opened – despite the many deaths that can be associated with his working hours.

At least 36 patients victim of the Högel in Oldenburg, according to the prosecutor. And about 64 people would have suffered the same fate in the nearby town of Delmenhorst, where murders continued before the arrest of Högel in 2005.

– If officials, especially at the Oldenburg clinic, but also later in Delmenhorst, had not hesitated to contact the authorities, Högel could have been arrested earlier, police officer Johann Kühme said earlier , from Oldenburg.