Arrests made in Switzerland following the death of an American woman in a suicide capsule

A 64-year-old American woman from the Midwest died in an assisted suicide capsule in Switzerland, leading to criminal proceedings being launched against several people for incitement and aiding and abetting suicide. The woman suffered from severe immune compromise and died under the canopy of trees in the Canton of Schaffhausen. The Sarco device, developed by The Last Resort, allows the person inside to press a button for a peaceful death a few minutes later. The device was created by Australian physician Philip Nitschke, who stated that he was pleased with how the device performed. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland as long as it is done without a selfish motive. The Last Resort, which describes itself as “altruistic,” provides the capsule for free but has associated costs for using the machine and body removal. In 2022, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard also died by assisted suicide in Switzerland. For those in crisis, call 988 or the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit speakingofsuicide.com/resources for additional support.

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