Status: 11/30/2022 5:35 p.m
A 39-year-old was sentenced to six months probation because she raised syringes with common salt instead of a corona vaccine in the Schortens vaccination center (Friesland district).
That was decided by the district court of Oldenburg on Wednesday. The court sentenced the nurse to six counts of intentional assault, a court spokesman said. Originally 15 cases were charged. In April 2021, the 39-year-old had syringes with saline solution or diluted the corona vaccine so that it was ineffective. At that time, more than 8,000 people had to be vaccinated again.
Confession has a mitigating effect
With the verdict, the court followed the request of the public prosecutor. It saw the defendant’s confession that the woman had no criminal record as mitigating the sentence. No damage was caused to those affected by the ineffective vaccinations. The defense had pleaded for a small fine. The defendants’ lawyer had argued that it could no longer be proven whether the syringes with the saline solution had been used at all.
Accused speaks of a mishap
According to the nurse at the time, she dropped an ampoule containing the vaccine in April 2021, causing it to break. To cover up her mishap, she filled six syringes, almost entirely with saline, which she gave to colleagues for vaccination. The court largely followed this argument and saw no evidence that the woman wanted to sabotage the vaccination campaign due to a possible critical attitude towards vaccination. Rather, it must be assumed that it was an accident. She committed the crime because she was afraid of losing her job.
Political motivation denied
At the beginning of the trial, the accused had denied any political motivation for her actions and regretted her actions. According to her own statements, the woman felt guilty after the incident and confided in a colleague. This reported the act. The defendant lost her license as a nurse. The 39-year-old apologized at the end of the trial and said she wasn’t aware of the consequences of her actions. An appeal can be lodged against the judgment within a week.
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