Trial for nursing home scandal in the Harz region: four defendants before the Braunschweig court

The investigations have reconstructed a system in which, to ensure smooth care operations, residents considered "particularly mobile" were sedated with medication and locked in their rooms, even by simply raising the bed rails. As stated by Chief Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, "Von den missbräuchlich verwendeten Arzneimitteln wussten weder die Bewohner noch deren Angehörige oder die Ärzte etwas." In some cases, residents were allegedly prevented from leaving the facility or moving elsewhere.

Allegations of Sedation and Isolation of Residents

The prosecution also accuses the managing couple of falsifying reports on the health status of the guests and of lying to the attending physicians to obtain a higher level of care and thus higher reimbursements from health insurance companies. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the goal was to achieve maximum profit at the expense of the residents. The former home manager also allegedly made false statements about the guests' health status to the experts.

As reported by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the couple allegedly established a veritable "umfassendes Herrschaftsregime" in the facility, controlling every aspect of internal life. Prosecutor Wolters expressed conviction that the managers were indifferent to the residents' health risks.

A Trial with Over Fifty Hearings

The reading of the indictment, which covers a total of 17 cases, took about two hours. More than fifty hearings are scheduled and will continue until the end of January 2027, with dozens of witnesses called to testify. A verdict is not expected before next year.

At the opening of the proceedings, the managing couple, through their lawyers, stated that they would not submit to examination by the court. The lawyers for the former home manager and the former nursing service manager, however, announced that their clients intend to make statements within the next week. The two defendants are reportedly in poor psychological condition and live in a small town and in Langelsheim, respectively.

The presiding judge announced that the court will focus particularly on the administration of medication. The defense for the four defendants preferred not to make statements to NDR before the start of the trial.

Repeated Complaints and Previous Dismissed Investigations

The scandal has its roots in a much longer period than the alleged offenses. According to the Goslar district authority, since 2005, there had been repeated complaints and reports of possible irregularities at the Langelsheim nursing home. In 2008 and 2011, the two managers had already been banned from acting as facility directors, and in 2020, shortly after a new criminal complaint, the management was replaced. An investigation initiated following a first complaint in 2009 had been dismissed.

The Goslar district authority had imposed a total of four fines and three orders, including a stop to new admissions. A first complaint had been dismissed, but the investigations against the managers, reopened in 2020, have this time led to the filing of charges. The presumption of innocence remains until the judgment becomes legally binding.