A German doctor went on trial Monday accused of killing 15 patients with lethal injections while working in Berlin.

The 40-year-old palliative care specialist, named by German media as Johannes M., is alleged to have killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024.

He is accused of injecting the victims with deadly cocktails of sedatives and setting fire to their homes to cover up his crimes.

Prosecutors say he administered anesthetic and muscle relaxants without patients' knowledge or consent, causing respiratory arrest and death within minutes.

In five cases, Johannes M.

allegedly set fire to the victims' apartments after administering the injections.

He is also accused of killing two patients on the same day in July 2024.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the doctor, who had been providing medical care under the pretext of home visits.

The case recalls that of notorious German nurse Niels Hoegel, who was handed a life sentence in 2019 for murdering 85 patients.

Investigations into an additional 96 cases involving Johannes M.

are ongoing.