Niels Högel: Why the court is skeptical in the testimony of a doctor

Little time? At the end of the text there is a summary.

It is not often seen in court that a witness is sworn in. In the murder trial against former nurse Niels Högel, Judge Sebastian Bührmann considers it appropriate. He asks Michael H., senior physician and cardiac surgeon at the Klinikum Oldenburg, to get up and raise his right hand. Bührmann points out that perjury is severely punished. Then he stops the witness swearing, telling the truth and leaving nothing out.

"I swear, God help me," says Michael H. The presiding judge seems to have some doubt about that. The representatives of the co-plaintiffs and the chief prosecutor are no different.

Michael H. is the first medical doctor to be heard as a witness in the trial. He was Deputy Head of Cardiac Surgery when Niels Högel worked in his department as a caregiver from 1999 onwards. In autumn 2002 Högel moved to anesthesia and in December 2002 to the Klinikum Delmenhorst.

Högel has to answer for murder in 100 cases before the district court of Oldenburg. He is alleged to have committed 36 murders at the Klinikum Oldenburg, 64 in Delmenhorst, according to an indictment. Högel has confessed in 42 cases to having injected drugs to patients to cause a circulatory collapse. He had wanted to stand as a hero after a successful revival. Many patients did not survive the ordeal. Högel denies five accused acts, in 52 cases he does not exclude his perpetrator.

"It has certainly gone to Mr. Högel"

Senior physician Michael H. wants to have noticed anything suspicious in his department. For a long time he did not even know the name Högel, he says in court. The doctors addressed the orderlies by their first name. But he also has no memories of meeting Niels today.

Michael H., 60 years old, is still working in the Klinikum Oldenburg. He brought a lawyer to pay for his testimony, paid by the clinic. The same lawyer represents other clinicians who testify in the trial.

Only on request, the senior physician admits that at some point an accumulation of increased potassium levels in patients was the topic. The witness remains vague, monosyllabic. It takes a while for Michael H. to say that there has even been a meeting - perhaps several - among senior physicians.

"It has certainly gone to Mr. Högel," he says. They were told that "Mr. Högel has come into focus and we should keep an eye on him". Again, questions are needed until he adds that it was a question of whether Högel was especially frequent in reanimations.

The witness emphasizes that he has never seen proof against Högel, only suspicions, nothing tangible. It was also about the reputation of the clinic. "Actually, we were afraid of committing murder." That's why the matter was treated very discreetly.

The witness talks and talks. He does not answer the question

Judge Bührmann asks the witness about a "horror weekend" in September 2001. Five patients had to be revived a total of 14 times in one night. Three people died during the night, two shortly thereafter. He has no memory of that, says the senior physician. Again, the judge must check. Only then Michael H. admits: Yes, there was such a weekend, "but I can not really remember now".

"Have you ever had the feeling that an accumulation of crises and deaths has occurred?" Asks the judge. The witness talks and talks. He does not answer the question. He emphasizes the "outstanding" achievements of his department, the many surgeries, and says that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not uncommon.

He does not want to know about a tally. "I'm seeing this for the first time," he says when the court shows him. The list shows a particular accumulation of resuscitation when Högel was on duty. Below is a handwritten commentary: The evidence is sufficient "by no means" to inform the prosecutor.

Then it says that Högel has already been transferred to another department. The list is from the nursing management. The judge expresses clear skepticism about the alleged ignorance of the chief medical officer. "Such matters have not been discussed with you as the second man in the department? You are under a duty of truth!" - "I do not know such a list," says the witness.

"He was able to resuscitate, he did it according to all the rules of the art"

Another witness appears much more offensive this day. Frank Lauxtermann worked until April 2001 again and again with Högel. They were colleagues. In the meantime Lauxtermann has been retired for four years. Perhaps this circumstance makes it easier for the 55-year-old to testify extensively.

Lauxtermann reports on the hubris of the staff of the heart surgery, also the caretaker. "This self-confidence was already tremendous, because the defendant actually fit in very well." Högel had disliked him, he had experienced him as empathielos, but professionally versed. "He could do resuscitation, he did it according to all the rules of the arts."

Lauxtermann makes the hospital Oldenburg serious allegations. It quickly became apparent that patients had to be reanimated frequently when Högel was on duty. The management must have known that, says Lauxtermann. In the beginning, proverbs were made that Högel was a bad luck bird, because the condition of the patients had always deteriorated when Högel had been on duty.

Later it was already said: "Oh dear, the Death-Högel is back on duty." No one really took that seriously. Until the abnormalities piled up. After Lauxtermann's departure, his colleagues would have continued to inform him about Högel. "The mistrust of the colleagues grew," he says. Högel was not stopped.

In 2014, Lauxtermann decided not to remain silent. Because of deaths in Delmenhorst Högel was already in court. Lauxtermann went to the police. "I knew he did not start in Delmenhorst first."

An indictment has already been filed against four employees of the Klinikum Delmenhorst, and five employees of the Klinikum Oldenburg are being investigated. It is about the question of the co-responsibility of doctors and nurses on Högel's deadly activity. Against Michael H. is not determined.

In summary: During the murder trial against the former nurse Niels Högel, a senior physician from the Oldenburg Hospital testified that Högel worked in his department and killed numerous people. The statement of the doctor was not enlightening - he does not want to hear about Högel's suspicious activities. A former nurse reported, however, over time, the distrust against Högel grew in the department. The statement of the doctor met several process participants with skepticism - he was sworn in as a witness.