A 28-year-old man went on trial at the Regional Court (Landgericht) in Konstanz, southern Germany, on 19 October 2026, accused of working as a doctor at an aesthetic clinic using a forged medical licence and forged certificates. According to the German news agency dpa, the defendant, a trained paramedic, confessed in court that he had obtained the documents from an online provider in China.

The man has not been named by the court or in media reports.

What prosecutors allege

According to the indictment, as reported by t-online and the Schwäbische Zeitung, he worked at the clinic's Konstanz branch from early March to mid-April 2026 and carried out about 470 cosmetic treatments, mainly hyaluronic acid injections to the face. Reports put the number of people treated at around 470 to 475.

Prosecutors say patients suffered pain, cramps, blurred vision, jaw pain, facial numbness and headaches. In one case part of a syringe reportedly broke off; in another a patient's lip was accidentally pierced. Reports say almost all patients stated they would not have agreed to treatment had they known he was not a doctor.

He faces charges including document forgery, fraud and dangerous bodily harm. The Schwäbische Zeitung reported further counts of misusing professional titles and practising medicine without authorisation. He has been in pre-trial detention since late April. Reports say he also claimed to have studied medicine online during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that a similar fraud previously led to a fine in Braunschweig.

The clinic's operators have said publicly that they were also deceived, and one alleged that even the man's school-leaving certificate was forged. Further hearing dates run to 28 October, when a verdict is possible.

Why licence checks matter

The case shows how a convincing set of documents can pass at the hiring stage. In most countries the safest check is not the paper certificate but the official register: in Germany, the state medical chamber; in India, the National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register and state medical council registers; in the UK, the GMC register. Employers should confirm the registration number, name and status directly with the register or council, and verify the underlying medical degree with the issuing university, instead of accepting scanned or printed copies at face value.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

GermanyFake doctorForged medical licenceCourtHealthcare fraud

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