French anesthetist sentenced to life in prison: 'We cannot bring back our loved ones, but at least there is a semblance of justice'

Frédéric Péchier arriving at the Besançon courthouse, December 15, 2025. ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP

On the steps of the Besançon courthouse in eastern France, where cameras and microphones jostled on Thursday, December 18, Delphine Ziegler masked her strong emotions with a gentle smile as she spoke of the "special and warm Christmas" her family was about to share. "We're going to spend it in the house where my mother lived. We will remember her thinking about how she was murdered, but also knowing that justice has finally been served," she told the media, feeling both "sad and at peace" after the verdict handed down 20 minutes earlier.

Anesthetist Frédéric Péchier, 53, had just been sentenced to life in prison for poisoning 30 patients, 12 of whom died. The sentence included a 22-year period during which he is ineligible for parole and a permanent ban from practicing medicine.

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