Trial Begins for French Doctor Accused of Poisoning Patients

Mon Sep 15 2025 13:06:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Frédéric Péchier, a former anaesthetist, faces trial for allegedly poisoning 30 patients, resulting in 12 fatalities. The trial stems from investigations conducted over several years that revealed serious adverse events tied to his time at local clinics.

In Besançon, France, the trial of Frédéric Péchier has commenced as he stands accused of intentionally poisoning 30 patients, leading to the deaths of 12 individuals. The case draws attention to several alarming incidents during his tenure as an anaesthetist between 2008 and 2017. Investigators suggest that Péchier tampered with medical treatments to cause cardiac arrests, raising questions about medical ethics and patient safety in healthcare facilities.

A former anaesthetist has gone on trial in the city of Besançon, in eastern France, accused of intentionally poisoning 30 people, including 12 patients who died.

Frédéric Péchier, 53, considered by colleagues to be a highly-talented practitioner, was first placed under investigation eight years ago, when he was suspected of poisoning patients at two clinics in the city between 2008 and 2017.

Despite the serious charges against him, Mr. Péchier has remained at liberty under judicial supervision and told French radio on Monday there was no proof of any poisoning.

The trial is set to last more than three months and involves more than 150 civil parties representing the 30 alleged victims.

Allegations of poisoning emerged in January 2017 when a 36-year-old patient called Sandra Simard, who was otherwise healthy, had surgery on her spine and her heart stopped beating.

After an intensive care physician failed to revive her, Frédéric Péchier gave her an injection, and the patient went into a coma but survived. Intravenous drugs used to treat her then showed concentrations of potassium 100 times the expected dose, and the alarm was raised with local prosecutors.

Another significant incident occurred shortly thereafter, involving a 70-year-old man. Péchier claimed to have found tampered bags of paracetamol after administering a general anaesthetic. He has maintained that he was framed and was placed under formal investigation a few weeks later.

Mr. Péchier's lawyer remarked that he had been waiting eight years to prove his innocence. The former anaesthetist stated he sees this trial as an opportunity to present his side of the story, citing continued adverse events even after he left the clinic in March 2017.

Investigators looked into similar serious adverse events dating back to 2008, involving patients aged four to 89. They discovered alarming patterns and occurrences while at two significant healthcare centers where he worked.

Péchier is accused of manipulating intravenous medicines to incur cardiac arrests, allegedly as an act of revenge against colleagues, given that he was the common denominator in all cases of poisoning.

The trial is expected to continue until December, and if found guilty, he could face life imprisonment.