The chemicals Frédéric Péchier added to patients’ infusion bags triggered cardiac arrests or severe haemorrhaging, forcing emergency interventions in operating theatres. In many cases, Péchier himself provided the life-saving response, allowing him to present himself as the patient’s rescuer. In 12 cases, however, intervention came too late or not at all, and the patients died.
Prosecutors argued that Péchier acted out of spite toward fellow anaesthetists, seeking to discredit colleagues he resented. Often not the primary anaesthetist, he was accused of arriving early to tamper with infusion bags, then stepping in once complications arose to diagnose the crisis and administer antidotes.
The investigation began in 2017 after dangerously high levels of potassium chloride were found in a patient’s infusion bag at the Saint-Vincent clinic in Besançon. Investigators uncovered an unusually high rate of unexplained cardiac events that followed Péchier’s movements between clinics and ceased only after he was barred from practice.
Despite denying wrongdoing, Péchier was convicted and sentenced to at least 22 years in prison. Survivors described the verdict as the end of a long nightmare, finally bringing a sense of justice and relief.
