In the trial against the former superiors of patient killer Niels H., the Oldenburg Regional Court acquitted all seven of the accused on Thursday.
In the opinion of the court, the taking of evidence showed that the three accused doctors, three nursing supervisors and one managing director did not act intentionally.
However, establishing intent would have been necessary for a conviction for aiding and abetting killing by omission.
The allegations of negligence, which also come into consideration, are all time-barred.
Life imprisonment for murder on 85 counts
Until 2005, Niels H. had brought patients into a life-threatening condition in the two clinics in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst by administering medication, in order to then be able to shine in front of his colleagues during resuscitation.
Niels H. was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for 85 counts of murder.
The true number of his victims is probably much higher.
When the verdict was announced on Thursday, the court said that the uneasiness of the former superiors towards Niels H. had increased both in Oldenburg and later in Delmenhorst.
But no concrete statements could be made that the accused reckoned with the actions of Niels H. and accepted them with approval.
The defense attorneys and the public prosecutor's office had previously demanded that the accused be acquitted.