Anaesthetist who sedated girl who died at Valencia dental clinic is arrested for manslaughter and stealing drugs from a hospital

The anaesthetist who sedated a young girl who died after visiting a dental clinic in Valencia last month has been arrested by the National Police as the alleged perpetrator of a crime of gross negligence. A supposed case of malpractice when administering doses to two minors at a dental clinic in Alzira led to the death of one of the girls and the severe intoxication of the other, according to police investigations.

Officers of the homicide group arrested the doctor after an exhaustive investigation and two searches carried out at his home and the dental clinic in Alzira.

According to sources from the Valencian regional police headquarters, the anaesthetist is accused of homicide, injury, failing in his duty to assist, crimes against public health and theft. A few hours after the arrest of the specialist, officers from the homicide group arrested the owner of the clinic, a 50-year-old woman, as the alleged perpetrator of the crimes of omission of the duty of care and crimes against public health.

According to police investigations, the arrested doctor had allegedly stolen drugs from a hospital in Valencia. These anaesthetics were used in the dental clinics where he performed sedation. Behind this practice would be the lack of administrative authorisation of the Alzira clinic to perform intravenous sedation. In the absence of this document, the specialist used the drugs he stole from the hospital to sedate patients, including the deceased girl and the other minor who suffered severe intoxication.

As reported by Las Provincias, the anaesthetist was missing for several hours after the death of the six-year-old girl at the Ribera Hospital became public. The health department then asked the police to locate him. He was said to have been deeply distressed over his alleged responsibility in the tragic incident.

The detainee, who works for several private clinics, was questioned by officers from the homicide unit shortly after he attended a meeting with his lawyer and technicians from the health inspection service of the regional ministry of health, an organisation that ensures compliance with health regulations in the centres and services in Valencia.

After this meeting, the investigators transferred the specialist to police headquarters to take his statement. The regional ministry of health is now preparing a report to be sent to the Alzira judge investigating the girl's death.

According to experts, deaths due to an anaesthesia complication are very unusual and always occur in the operating theatre. Another hypothesis considered by the police is that a product used in the clinic might have been contaminated by bacteria. The health department also investigated the traceability of the sedative administered to the two girls.