The investigation chamber of the Court of Appeal of Besançon (Doubs) authorized this Wednesday, April 26, 20232 Frédéric Péchier to exercise a medical activity under very specific conditions, without direct link with patients.
It’s a victory for the doctor’s defense. “This is what was requested, it is respectful of the presumption of innocence. It really is an extremely fair decision” reacted Me Randall Schwerdorffone of the lawyers of the former anesthesiologist suspected since January 2017 of having poisoned patients.
An order the judge forbade to Dr. fish to practice medicine, a decision challenged by the defense before the investigating chamber of the Besançon Court of Appeal.
“The investigating chamber has taken its responsibilities. And we are extremely satisfied. She partially overturned regarding the general ban on exercising medical activity. It limits the prohibition to the anesthetic specialty in all its components, including pre-anaesthetic advice. It prohibits contact with patients, it prohibits prescriptions. She authorizes Dr. fish to exercise other types of activities such as blood doctor, or regulatory doctor” detailed the lawyer after the announcement of the decision.
Frédéric Péchier, who lives in Vienne, has seen his judicial review lightened and can now return to Doubs to see his family.
The doctor fish continues to be registered with the College of Physicians. In this legal case which began in 2017, the anesthetist is indicted “definitively” for 30 cases of poisoning, including 12 fatal. He is also placed under the status of assisted witness for the two remaining ones, including a mortal.
He is suspected of having polluted the infusion bags of patients between 2008 and 2017 in two clinics in Besançon to cause cardiac arrest and then demonstrate his skills as a resuscitator, but also to discredit colleagues with whom he was in conflict.
The case had started when an anesthetist had given the alert after three unexplained cardiac arrests of her patients in full operation.