Suspicion of Murder Against Nurse in Vienna-Favoriten Clinic: Another Case is Now Being Investigated

Spokeswoman Nina Bussek confirmed a report by "Falter" to the APA on Tuesday morning. "We are at the beginning of the investigations," said Bussek. They have become aware of a situation "which is now being examined." As the Vienna Health Association (WIGEV) announced in a press conference in the afternoon, a second case is being examined.

Murder Suspicion in Vienna Clinic Favoriten: Accused Nurse is at Large

Ten days ago, the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office requested documents, said the medical director of WIGEV, Michael Binder. This patient - exact data was not disclosed - was also palliatively treated in the hospital and died in January 2025, said Binder. The accused nurse is at large, Bussek reported. The public prosecutor's office currently does not assume an urgent suspicion of a crime.

The concerning deaths involve a woman who died in mid-September and a man who died in January 2025, both of whom were palliatively treated in the oncology ward for weeks before their deaths. Both individuals - according to WIGEV, they were between 50 and 70 years old, further details were not disclosed for privacy reasons - were "in the final phase of their lives," as Silvia Riepl, nursing director of the Favoriten Clinic, explained to the media. At this stage, the goal of nursing care is "that they (the affected individuals, note) can endure the pain well and do not have to suffer."

Patient in Vienna-Favoriten Received Benzodiazepines and Opiates

The patient, initially reported by "Falter," was continuously supplied with benzodiazepines and opiates via a motorized syringe. Both the timing and the dosage were set in a therapy plan. The bolus (the administration of medication, note) was monitored and documented in writing by certified nursing staff on the 28-bed ward.

After the patient died in mid-September, irregularities in the nursing documentation were discovered by the nursing staff who took over the shift directly from the accused and a second employee the following day. Not every single bolus was documented.

The alarm bells rang for the on-duty staff as the now-accused reportedly remarked before the shift handover, according to "Falter," that one could "give more to the patient, then it will be over faster." They reported the incidents to the ward management, which subsequently informed the nursing directorate. The accused and the nurse who worked with her in the shift cycle were subsequently confronted by WIGEV with the allegation that more medication had been administered to the deceased than they had recorded.

Accused Denies Allegations According to WIGEV

The main suspect had "denied the accusation," clarified Michael Binder, Medical Director and Board Member of WIGEV, on Tuesday afternoon at a hastily convened press conference. "We reacted immediately," emphasized Binder: the two nurses were suspended from duty for violations of internal guidelines and subsequently dismissed, a factual report was submitted to the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, and a judicial autopsy was suggested. This has since been carried out. The result is not yet available.

Regardless, WIGEV, in the interest of comprehensive transparency, has commissioned a specialist in anesthesia and pain therapy to prepare an expert report. This expertise is also not yet available. It is about "comprehensive clarification," with the safety of the patients being the priority, emphasized Binder.

WIGEV: No indication of causal link between medication administration and death

"Our control systems are very tight-knit and have worked," explained Binder. At the current time, there is "no indication of a causal link between the administration of medication and the patient's death." An overdose has also not been proven. It is now necessary to await the written autopsy report and especially the toxicological examinations, noted the WIGEV manager.

Second case from January 2025

The situation regarding the patient who died in January is even less clear. Ten days ago, the public prosecutor's office requested documents on this matter, said Binder. This patient was also palliatively treated over a longer period at the Favoriten Clinic and was cared for by the nurse suspected of murder. Regarding the claim by "Falter," which reported an impending exhumation in this context, Binder stated he could not confirm this.

The nurse suspected of murder is at large. The public prosecutor's office currently does not assume an urgent suspicion, shared authority spokeswoman Nina Bussek upon APA inquiry.

In addition to the nurse who administered the pain medication to the moribund patient, the investigation also targets the employee who was on duty with her. This woman is also an experienced certified nurse. Both had been employed by WIGEV for about one and a half years.

(APA/Red)

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