Bruges, Belgium, Jan 23, 2018 / 00:00 am
Ivo Poppe, a 61-year old Catholic deacon in Belgium, went on trial this week under the suspicion of killing at least ten people, including multiple family members.
In 2014, Poppe was arrested after telling his psychiatrist that he had "euthanized" dozens of people, according to the BBC.
Based on the deacon's diary, the death toll could exceed reach as high as 50.
Most of the alleged victims died from an injection of air into their bloodstream, causing fatal embolism. Among those who died were multiple relatives, including Poppe's 89-year old mother, his two great-uncles, and his father-in-law. Poppe had claimed that his mother wanted to be euthanized, but her doctors denied that she had expressed any wishes to end her life.