At least five nurses have reportedly been questioned as witnesses in a Budapest hospital murder investigation involving a 32-year-old female doctor who previously worked at the North Buda St John’s Centre Hospital. The doctor was detained in May and is suspected of killing an elderly patient receiving treatment at the hospital.
Nurses questioned in Budapest hospital murder investigation
Investigators from the Budapest Police Headquarters’ homicide division questioned nurses who were working when the patient died, according to information obtained by Hungarian news site Telex.
The questioning forms part of an investigation launched on reasonable suspicion of homicide. Police previously confirmed to the Hungarian state news agency MTI that a 32-year-old woman had been questioned as a suspect and taken into custody. A court subsequently ordered her pre-trial detention.
The woman has not been convicted of any offence. The allegations against her remain under investigation, and the principle of presumption of innocence applies throughout the criminal proceedings.
Few official details have been released because the investigation is being conducted under strict confidentiality.
Elderly cancer patient reportedly died in emergency department
According to Telex, the incident took place in May in an observation area connected to the emergency department of the North Buda St John’s Centre Hospital.
The patient was reportedly an elderly person with cancer who had been admitted to the department. The circumstances of the death have not been publicly detailed, and neither the police nor the hospital has disclosed what act the doctor is suspected of committing.
The case was reportedly brought to the attention of the hospital’s management by the head of the department. The institution later said it had immediately contacted the investigating authorities after becoming aware of a suspected crime against human life. It also initiated the necessary employment-related and professional medical measures.
The hospital confirmed that the doctor is no longer employed by the institution.
Investigators examining the doctor’s previous workplaces
Telex reported that investigators are also reviewing whether potentially suspicious deaths occurred at medical institutions where the doctor had previously worked.
The doctor graduated from medical university in 2020 and reportedly worked in anaesthesiology and intensive care before joining St John’s Hospital. She had also been employed at other hospitals in Budapest.
The reported review of earlier cases does not mean that investigators have established a link between the doctor and any other death. It is understood to be part of a wider examination of her professional history following the opening of the current case.
No further suspects have been officially identified.
As we wrote yesterday, four Hungarian paramedics beat intoxicated patient unconscious three times
What happens next in the investigation?
The statements given by nurses could help investigators reconstruct the patient’s final hours, determine who was present and establish which treatments or medicines were administered.
Medical records, staff schedules, pharmaceutical logs and expert medical opinions may also play a central role in the investigation. Authorities have not announced when the inquiry may be completed or whether prosecutors will ultimately bring charges.
Hungarian media reported that the doctor’s detention was extended until mid-September because the court identified risks including possible flight, interference with evidence or witnesses, and repeated offending.
Pre-trial detention is a procedural measure and does not constitute a finding of guilt.
The Budapest hospital murder investigation has attracted considerable public attention because it concerns an alleged killing in a medical setting, where patients are dependent on healthcare workers and often unable to protect themselves.
For now, the precise cause of the patient’s death and the evidence supporting the suspicion against the doctor remain undisclosed. Further information is expected only when investigators, prosecutors or the court release additional details.
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