Catholic deacon accused of murder by air injection in Belgium

BBC News 22 January 2018
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A Catholic deacon accused of killing at least 10 people – including his own mother – has gone on trial in Belgium.

Former nurse Ivo Poppe is suspected of killing his victims by injecting air into their blood, causing a fatal embolism.

The offences are alleged to have taken place at a clinic in Menen, where he worked as a nurse – and later, after being ordained, in a pastoral role.

Belgian newspapers have nicknamed the 61-year-old man the “deacon of death”.

If found guilty of all the alleged murders, he would become one of the worst serial killers in Belgian history.

Mr Poppe was arrested in 2014 after telling his psychiatrist that he had “euthanised” dozens of people. All of the alleged victims were elderly patients.

He had, according to reports, initially made partial confessions during the investigation, saying he was acting compassionately for those who were terminally ill. However, he later retracted his statement and now denies the charges against him.
READ MORE: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42780226