A so-called “suicide capsule” was just used for the first time in Switzerland, which prompted police to take several people into custody and open a criminal investigation. Prosecutors said they were told of an assisted suicide involving an American woman from the Midwest on Monday, Sept. 23.
Prosecutors are looking into charges of suspicion of incitement and accessory to suicide. Much of the investigation is because these capsules are still under legal review in the country.
The 64-year-old woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, reportedly suffered from symptoms related to an autoimmune disorder and had wished to die for at least two years. She died on Monday in a forested area near the German border. The only person who was present described her death as “peaceful and dignified.”
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The device is designed to let a person lay in a reclining seat and push a button inside to release nitrogen gas into a sealed chamber. The person is supposed to fall asleep and then die from suffocation in a few minutes.
The doctor behind Exit International, the company which created the device, said he is “pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed.”
Swiss law allows assisted suicide under specific circumstances. For instance, the individual must take his or her life with no “external assistance” and those helping in the death must not have “any self-serving motive.”
Switzerland is among the only countries where foreigners can travel to legally end their lives.
However, the Swiss health minister contended the Sarco Pod is illegal because it does not meet requirements involving product safety law and the use of chemicals in assisted suicide.
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A state prosecutor said in July of this year that anyone who helped operate the “suicide capsule” could face criminal charges and a conviction would carry up to five years in prison.
However, the creator of the device argued that he was told by lawyers in Switzerland the Sarco would be legal in the country.
The capsule is made with the help of a 3D printer and cost more than a million dollars to develop.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
[KARAH RUCKER]
A SO-CALLED “SUICIDE CAPSULE” WAS JUST USED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SWITZERLAND.
PROMPTING POLICE TO TAKE SEVERAL PEOPLE INTO CUSTODY AND OPEN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WERE TOLD OF AN ASSISTED-SUICIDE INVOLVING AN AMERICAN WOMAN FROM THE MIDWEST MONDAY.
THEY’RE LOOKING INTO CHARGES OF SUSPICION OF INCITEMENT AND ACCESSORY TO SUICIDE.
MUCH OF THIS IS BECAUSE THESE CAPSULES ARE STILL BEING REVIEWED.
THE 64-YEAR-OLD WOMAN REPORTEDLY SUFFERED FROM SEVERE SYMPTOMS RELATED TO AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER AND HAD WISHED TO DIE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. SHE DIED MONDAY IN A FORESTED AREA NEAR THE GERMAN BORDER AND THE ONLY PERSON PRESENT DESCRIBED HER DEATH AS “PEACEFUL AND DIGNIFIED.”
THE DEVICE IS DESIGNED TO LET A PERSON LAY IN A RECLINING SEAT AND PUSH A BUTTON INSIDE RELEASING NITROGEN GAS INTO A SEALED CHAMBER. THE PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO FALL ASLEEP AND THEN DIE FROM SUFFOCATION IN A FEW MINUTES.
THE DOCTOR BEHIND THE COMPANY ‘EXIT INTERNATIONAL’, WHICH CREATED THE DEVICE, SAID HE IS “PLEASED THAT THE SARCO HAD PERFORMED EXACTLY AS IT HAD BEEN DESIGNED.”
SWISS LAW ALLOWS ASSISTED SUICIDE UNDER SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE INDIVIDUAL MUST TAKE HIS OR HER LIFE WITH NO “EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE” AND THOSE HELPING IN THE DEATH MUST NOT HAVE “ANY SELF-SERVING MOTIVE.”
SWITZERLAND IS AMONG THE ONLY COUNTRIES WHERE FOREIGNERS CAN TRAVEL TO LEGALLY END THEIR LIVES.
BUT THE SWISS HEALTH MINISTER CONTENDS THE SARCO POD IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE SHE SAYS IT DOESN’T MEET REQUIREMENTS INVOLVING PRODUCT SAFETY LAW AND THE USE OF CHEMICALS IN ASSISTED-SUICIDE.
A STATE PROSECUTOR SAID EARLIER THIS YEAR ANYONE WHO HELPED OPERATE THE SUICIDE CAPSULE COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND A CONVICTION WOULD CARRY UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.
THE CREATOR OF THE DEVICE ARGUES HE WAS TOLD BY LAWYERS IN SWITZERLAND THE SARCO WOULD BE LEGAL IN THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE– CALL OR TEXT THE NATIONAL SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE AT 9-8-8.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS STORY BY DOWNLOADING OUR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.
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