Ecstasy doctor admits in court to causing two deaths
Berlin (dpa) - A German doctor admitted in court on Thursday to having caused the death of two patients, by giving them a deadly dose of mind-altering drugs during a therapy session last year.
"I am responsible for the death of two people," the 51-year-old psychotherapist tearfully told the Berlin court at the opening of the trial.
However he denied the allegation of attempted murder, and said he had been certain he was giving his patients a safe dosage of the recreational drug ecstasy.
In total, 12 people participated in the intensive therapy session last September. Of the surviving patients, several were taken to hospital and treated for poisoning.
The prosecution accused the therapist of bodily harm with fatal consequences as well as attempted murder.
The doctor began to read a prepared statement in court, but was overcome with emotion and his defence lawyer took over, explaining that it was only upon arrest that his client thought he may have administered an overdose due to defective scales.
The doctor said he had explained the effect of the drug to the group, and had not forced anybody to take it.
The prosecution also charged that the therapist hid a 28-year-old patient when the medics arrived, in order to cover up the use of dangerous drugs.
"That is absurd, I wanted to help and not hurt," the doctor said in response to the attempted murder charge. The patient later died in hospital. A 59-year-old patient also died, in the doctor′s practice.
Outside the courtroom, the defence lawyer said patients carried a certain degree of responsibility themselves, and added that the events were an accident and a personal catastrophe for the doctor.
One participant in the therapy session had told a newspaper that nine of the 12 patients tried the drugs, in the form of white powder or white tablets. Most of them had been delirious, he added.
He said the participants had taken drugs in previous sessions too, and that all members of the group understood what was going on. They had each paid between 100-150 euros (135-204 dollars), he had told the paper.
The trial is to continue Monday, when the first witnesses will testify to the court. dpa hm hl