Described by the prosecution as "one of the greatest criminals in French judicial history", he faces life imprisonment, but proclaims his innocence: the anesthesiologist Frédéric Péchier, on trial for three months in Besançon for 30 poisonings, 12 of which were fatal, will learn on Friday the sentence requested against him.
Since Thursday, the two representatives of the public prosecutor's office, Thérèse Brunisso and Christine de Curraize, have been trying to convince the jurors that, in this "totally extraordinary case", marked by "the social taboo of medical murder", "everything points" to the 53-year-old doctor as guilty.
The accused "is obviously neither Guy Georges nor Michel Fourniret, but he is nonetheless a serial killer," insisted Thérèse Brunisso, "certain of his guilt."
Described as a "liar" and "manipulator", a man "ready to do anything to save his skin" even if it meant accusing "everyone", Frédéric Péchier is a "criminal who used medicine to kill", the two magistrates hammered home on Thursday, during this first day devoted to the prosecution's arguments.
According to them, the anesthesiologist contaminated infusion bags with potassium, local anesthetics, adrenaline or heparin, to cause cardiac arrest or hemorrhages in patients treated by colleagues.
According to the prosecutor's office, he acted to harm colleagues with whom he was in conflict, but made "too many mistakes" which led to his being caught, particularly in the last case, that of a 70-year-old patient poisoned in January 2017.
– The imperturbable defendant –
To present the case, the two deputy prosecutors took turns throughout the day on Thursday.
After a general overview of the entire case, they began to dissect each of the 30 cases in detail and argued, each time, for the jurors to find Frédéric Péchier guilty of these acts.
Furthermore, they considered that, in each case, an aggravating circumstance was established, either because the crime was premeditated, or because it was committed against a vulnerable person.
During this relentless presentation, Frédéric Péchier remained imperturbable, rereading his notes, listening attentively, alongside his sister and Randall Schwerdorffer, to his two advisors.
These requests are "not a surprise," commented Mr. Schwerdorffer on Thursday after the hearing.
He recalled that since the beginning of the investigation, "two opposing theories have clashed" in this case, with the accused always maintaining his innocence. Since the start of the trial, where he is appearing as a free man, he has admitted that a poisoner did indeed operate in one of the two private clinics where he worked, but has consistently repeated that he was not the poisoner.
Just days before the verdict – expected no later than December 19, after a long and “very tiring” trial – “I am not afraid of anything at all,” the defense lawyer stated.
On Monday, "we will develop our defense arguments" to plead for acquittal. "I have no doubt that the Assize Court will listen to these arguments and I hope they will be heard," insisted Mr. Schwerdorffer.
When questioned by journalists about the words of the public prosecutors, who see him as a "serial killer," Frédéric Péchier replied tersely: "That's their opinion. We'll see at the end."
English 
French