Overview
- Former anesthetist Frédéric Péchier is on trial accused of poisoning 30 patients at two Besançon clinics between 2008 and 2017, with 12 deaths reported.
- Families criticized the Saint‑Vincent clinic, the regional health agency and investigators for not intervening sooner to stop the suspected poisonings.
- Testimony indicated 27 of the 30 alleged incidents occurred at Clinique Saint‑Vincent and pointed to a lack of comparative safety data and poor internal information‑sharing.
- Prosecutors outlined varied suspected methods, from tampering with fluid bags to toxic doses during operations, involving potassium, local anesthetics, adrenaline and heparin.
- An initial 2008 inquiry stalled until anesthetist Anne‑Sophie Balon helped relaunch the case in 2017, while Péchier maintains his innocence, remains free, and a verdict is expected on December 19.