Doctor faces manslaughter charge in assisted suicide trial

A trial has begun in Potsdam against a 75-year-old doctor accused of manslaughter in connection with an assisted suicide case. The prosecution contends that the doctor facilitated the death of a 39-year-old woman in 2021 by setting up an infusion of a lethal anesthetic. Although the woman herself activated the infusion, knowing its fatal effect, the state prosecutor's office argues she was not capable of making a free and responsible decision to end her life.

The basis for this argument is the woman's diagnosed neurocognitive disorder, which included delusional symptoms and a significant impairment of reality control. This condition, according to the prosecution, rendered her unable to form a truly voluntary will to commit suicide.

This is not the first legal challenge for the physician. In 2024, the Berlin Regional Court already convicted him of assisted suicide, sentencing him to three years imprisonment. The current trial will examine whether his actions in the 2021 case constitute manslaughter.