Wittstock caregiver convicted: five years in prison for fatal abuse!

Wittstock caregiver convicted: five years in prison for fatal abuse!

Wittstock, Deutschland - The district court of Neuruppin sentenced a 27-year-old former carer of a Wittstock nursing home to a prison sentence of 5 years and 10 months on June 2, 2025. The accused was held responsible for the tragic death of a resident. The court found him guilty of bodily harm, suspension with death and the abuse of protective persons.

The incident that took place in January 2024 was characterized by terrifying details. The defendant brutally treated a 66-year-old woman who was sitting in a wheelchair and had both mental and physical restrictions. It is reported that he put her on the terrace in freezing cold and only in a pajamas and she previously hit massively. In addition, he is said to have given her an overdose of medication and showered them cold. The cruel treatment caused the woman to suffer rib breaks and cooled down to a temperature of 26 degrees. Two days after the incident, she died of pneumonia that was triggered by the hypothermia.

extensive burden of proof

The court found a significant burden of proof, even if the exact crime scene could not be fully reconstructed. Witness reports and the analysis of voice messages that the accused sent previously confirmed that he had already abused restless residents in the past. Another alarm is the statement that he did not perceive the clients as humans, but as a burden and treat them with sauerkraut juice in order to additionally burden his colleague.

The accused accused his defender of pleading for acquittal, but he was held accountable for his actions. In addition to his prison sentence, he received a five -year job ban, which should ensure that he can never work again in nursing. This judgment is not yet final.

violence in care as a widespread problem

The incident reveals a widespread problem in the care industry. According to a survey of inpatient facilities in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, 72 % of the nursing staff stated that they apply violence against those in need of care. At the same time, impressive 80 % of violence has reported violence in the past twelve months. Forms of violence in care can be varied and range from physical violence, such as beatings and kicks, to psychological violence, which includes threats and ignoring needs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as the intentional use of physical or psychological power, which can lead to injuries or death. In nursing, this not only manifests itself through personal violence, but also by structural violence, which is caused by institutional factors. Studies show that priority causes of violence in nursing staff are stress, overload and mental disorders, while in those in need of care often cognitive impairments and communication difficulties play a role.

For more information about the existing challenges in nursing and violence in this area, the articles of Forum Verlag and the research reports of the zQp , which provide detailed insights into this topic.