A high-profile trial has begun in Besançon, eastern France, where former anaesthetist Frédéric Péchier stands accused of intentionally poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died, between 2008 and 2017.
Now 53 years old, Péchier was once considered a highly skilled and respected medical professional. He worked at two major clinics in the city — the Franche-Comté Polyclinic and the Saint-Vincent Clinic. Over the years, a series of unexplained medical emergencies and deaths during routine procedures led investigators to suspect deliberate poisoning.
The case first came to light in 2017 after a healthy 36-year-old woman went into cardiac arrest following spinal surgery. Tests later revealed dangerously high levels of potassium in her IV fluid — 100 times the expected dose. Though she survived, the incident raised red flags. Days later, another patient, a 70-year-old man, suffered a similar episode. Péchier claimed he found tampered IV bags and alleged he was being framed.
Investigators began reviewing earlier adverse events, eventually linking Péchier to 30 suspicious medical incidents between 2008 and 2017. Victims ranged in age from four to 89. In 12 cases, patients died after suffering cardiac arrests that could not be medically explained. One of the earliest deaths, in 2008, involved a man who received a lethal dose of lidocaine during a routine kidney operation.
Prosecutors argue that Péchier tampered with IV medications to intentionally induce cardiac arrests, possibly to seek revenge against colleagues or gain praise for stepping in during emergencies. They describe him as the “common denominator” in all the incidents.
Despite the severity of the charges, Péchier has been free under judicial supervision. He continues to deny any wrongdoing, saying there is no proof of poisoning and maintaining that adverse events continued even after his departure from the clinics in 2017.
The trial is expected to last over three months and includes more than 150 civil parties representing victims and their families. Péchier faces life imprisonment if found guilty.
This case has sparked national attention in France and raised serious questions about patient safety, medical accountability, and how such alleged crimes could go unnoticed for nearly a decade.
