Nurse gets 40 months for fatal patient lift error in Belgium

A 29-year-old nurse from Beringen received a 40-month prison sentence and an 8,000 euro fine from the Hasselt correctional court. The conviction stems from the death of a 96-year-old palliative patient, caused by the nurse's dangerous and incorrect use of a patient lift. The nurse was reportedly struggling with severe drug addiction at the time and had been stealing morphine from his workplace.

The nurse faced charges for two separate incidents. The first involved the unintentional death of the 96-year-old woman in January 2024. While the exact cause of death could not be definitively established, the court directly linked it to the way the nurse moved her. In a second incident, an 80-year-old resident survived but displayed signs of neck compression, including petechiae and difficulty swallowing. The court identified these as clear indications of "compressive, constricting force" on her throat.

In both cases, the nurse used a patient lift for washing or moving residents but attached the fixation straps incorrectly. Instead of securing them around the abdomen or waist, he placed them under the armpits. This resulted in the 96-year-old woman being positioned in a "quasimodo-like posture," with her head severely pressed between her shoulders. The defense claimed the nurse used the lift as instructed, but the court noted he had previously received warnings for being too rough.

"The defendant disregarded the physical and psychological integrity of his defenseless and vulnerable victims," the court stated. The judge emphasized that the nurse had "flagrantly" violated the trust of the residents, their families, and his colleagues. Beyond the physical abuse, the man was also convicted for a series of thefts between 2019 and 2024, stealing morphine and blank prescription forms from various locations. He admitted to his own addiction to medication, cocaine, and MDMA. Although the prosecution requested immediate detention, the court declined. The deceased woman's family was awarded one euro in provisional damages, and the care home operators received 880 euros.