Multiple Years in Prison for Poisoning Attacks on Rescue Station - Trainee Paramedic Jailed for Poisoning Colleagues with Stolen Drugs

A 25-year-old trainee paramedic has been jailed for poisoning her colleagues with stolen prescription drugs. The Heilbronn Regional Court sentenced her to three years and eight months after she laced their drinks with atropine on multiple occasions. Her actions left several coworkers needing hospital treatment.

The incidents took place between October 2023 and April 2024 at a DRK station in Vaihingen/Enz. The trainee, from the Ludwigsburg district, admitted adding atropine to her colleagues' drinks on at least four separate occasions. Some victims experienced rapid heartbeats, double vision, and other severe symptoms.

One paramedic became seriously ill during an emergency call and required hospitalisation. Several others were treated medically, though the exact number affected was not disclosed in court. The defendant claimed she only wanted to 'teach her colleagues a lesson' and 'annoy them', insisting she had no intention of causing harm. However, prosecutors pushed for an attempted murder conviction on four counts. They argued she had foreseen and accepted the potentially deadly risks of her actions. The first trial collapsed after a lay judge died unexpectedly. A retrial began in mid-December last year, leading to the final verdict.

The Heilbronn Regional Court ultimately convicted her of grievous bodily harm. She will serve three years and eight months in prison. The case highlighted the dangers of tampering with medication, even when the perpetrator claimed no malicious intent.