In Switzerland, euthanasia is considered a legal option at the end of life. However, after a US woman committed suicide, several arrests followed.
Schaffhausen – Active euthanasia is prohibited in Germany. However, if a lethal agent is merely procured and not administered, the legality is not fully regulated. In Switzerland, there are entire organizations that support people in committing suicide, although the methods are sometimes controversial.
Euthanasia in Switzerland: US woman takes her own life with suicide capsule
A so-called suicide capsule was used in Switzerland on September 23, 2024. According to the manufacturer “Last Resort”, the device for assisted suicide is a 3D-printed capsule called “Sarco”, in which the air is quickly replaced with pure nitrogen. “The user dies quickly and peacefully,” it says. The capsule was now used for the first time by a 64-year-old US citizen who died in it. On Monday, Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider declared that the capsule was not legal.
Help with suicidal thoughts
We generally do not report on suicides so that such cases do not encourage potential copycats. We only report on them if the circumstances attract particular public attention. If you or someone you know is suffering from an existential crisis or depression, please contact the telephone counseling service on 0800-1110111. Help with depression and other mental health emergencies is also available at www.deutsche-depressionshilfe.de.
After the capsule was used, several people were arrested by the Swiss police. They must answer for “incitement and aiding and abetting suicide,” the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen announced. The suicide capsule is currently being investigated, and an autopsy is still to be performed on the deceased woman. The public prosecutor’s office was informed about the suicide on the border with Germany by a law firm. “An assisted suicide took place at a forest hut in Merishausen,” they said.
The “Sarco” capsule was presented in Zurich in July by the organization “Last Resort.” As was announced at the presentation, the capsule, named after a sarcophagus, would soon be used. The choice fell on a woman who “had suffered for many years from a number of serious problems related to a severe immune deficiency,” the company said. When she died on Monday, only the co-president of “Last Resort,” Florian Willet, was present. There are also heated discussions about euthanasia.
Suicide capsule “Sarco” is used in Switzerland – legality is controversial
In Switzerland, assisted suicide is permitted for people suffering from an incurable disease. In addition, they must be fully capable of making decisions. As in Germany, administering a lethal drug is not permitted; those wishing to die must take it themselves. “Every single death is investigated immediately afterwards by the police, the forensic medicine department and the public prosecutor’s office. So if we were to do something that was not permitted, we would be threatened with criminal proceedings and imprisonment,” the ARD the head of the Swiss euthanasia organization “Exit”.
After the announcement of the “Sarco” capsule by Last Resort, there were repeated discussions about its possible use. Interior Minister Baume-Schneider explained that the suicide capsule did not meet product safety regulations and therefore should not be placed on the market. In addition, according to the Chemicals Act, nitrogen in the capsule may not be used for suicide. The defendants face a prison sentence of up to five years. Assisted suicide is permitted if helpers are not accused of selfish motives, but the Sarco device is not considered to be legal. (rd/afp/dpa)
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