Use of ‘suicide pod’ suspended amid criminal investigation

Oct 7

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor), Jonah Applegarth (Graphics Operator)

The advocacy groups behind a so-called “suicide pod” stopped taking applications for people to use it, at least for now. It comes as one person has been charged in connection with the death of an American woman who was the first to use the pod to end her life and did so voluntarily.

The president of Switzerland-based The Last Resort, Florian Willet, is being held in pretrial detention, according to an affiliate group in Australia called Exit International. Others were initially detained, but they have since been released from custody.

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Exit International said Willet was the only one present when the American woman died using the machine, called Sarco. They say the 64-year-old woman was severely immunocompromised and Willet said her death was “peaceful, fast and dignified.”

In a statement Sunday, Oct. 6, Exit International said 371 people were “in the process of applying” to use Sarco when applications were suspended.

On the same day the woman died, Switzerland’s health minister told parliament use of the device would not be legal. However, Exit International’s lawyers in the country believe it is.

In its statement, Exit International said it did not know the health minister said use of Sarco would be illegal until after it had already been used and “the timing was pure coincidence and not our intention.” Switzerland is known for having some of the most permissive laws in the world when it comes to assisted suicide.

Sarco is designed to allow the person inside to push a button which injects nitrogen gas into the sealed capsule. The person will then fall asleep and die of suffocation in a matter of minutes.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, help is available. Call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 any day at any time for someone to talk to. It’s free and confidential.

Tags: Australia, Health, Health Care, Investigation, Mental health, Suicide, suicide prevention, Switzerland

THE ADVOCACY GROUPS BEHIND A SO-CALLED “SUICIDE POD” HAVE STOPPED TAKING APLPICATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO USE IT – AT LEAST FOR NOW.

IT COMES AS ONE PERSON HAS BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF AN AMERICAN WOMAN – WHO WAS THE FIRST TO USE THE POD TO END HER LIFE, AND DID SO VOLUNTARILY.

THE PRESIDENT OF SWITZERLAND-BASED “THE LAST REPORT” – FLORIAN WILLET – IS BEING HELD IN PRE-TRIAL DETENTION, ACCORDING TO AN AFFILIATE GROUP IN AUSTRALIA CALLED “EXIT INTERNATIONAL.”

OTHERS WERE INITIALLY DETAINED – BUT THEY’VE SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY.

EXIT INTERNATIONAL HAS SAID WILLET WAS THE ONLY ONE PRESENT WHEN THE AMERICAN WOMAN DIED USING THE MACHINE, CALLED “SARCO.”

THEY SAY THE 64-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND WILLET SAID HER DEATH WAS QUOTE “PEACEFUL, FAST AND DIGNIFIED.”

THE STATEMENT ALSO SAID 371 PEOPLE WERE “IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING” TO USE SARCO WHEN APPLICATIONS WERE SUSPENDED.

ON THE SAME DAY THE WOMAN DIED – SWITZERLAND’S HEALTH MINISTER TOLD PARLIAMENT USE OF THE DEVICE WOULD *NOT* BE LEGAL… HOWEVER, EXIT INTERNATIONAL’S LAWYERS IN THE COUNTRY BELIEVE IT IS.

EXIT INTERNATIONAL RELEASED A STATEMENT SUNDAY SAYING THEY DID NOT KNOW THE HEALTH MINISTER SAID IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL – UNTIL *AFTER* IT HAD ALREADY BEEN USED… AND QUOTE “THE TIMING WAS PURE COINCIDENCE AND NOT OUR INTENTION.”

SWITZERLAND IS KNOWN FOR HAVING SOME OF THE MOST PERMISSIVE LAWS INT H WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO ASSISTED SUICIDE.

SARCO IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE PERSON INSIDE TO PUSH A BUTTON – WHICH INJECTS NITROGEN GAS INTO THE SEALED CAPSULE.

THE PERSON WILL THEN FALL ASLEEP AND DIE BY SUFFOCATION IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH THOUGHTS OF SELF-HARM OR SUICIDE, HELP *IS* AVAILABLE.

CALL OR TEXT THE NATIONAL SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE AT 9-8-8 ANY DAY AT ANY TIME FOR SOMEONE TO TALK TO.

IT’S **FREE** AND CONFIDENTIAL.