Multiple arrests have been made in Switzerland following the reported use of a "suicide capsule" to assist an elderly American woman in ending her life. The incident has sparked investigations into possible incitement and accessory to suicide, while the pro-euthanasia group Exit International has taken responsibility for the alleged crime.
Police officials in Schaffhausen canton, northern Switzerland, announced the arrests on Tuesday, acting on a tip that individuals had been assisted in killing themselves in a cabin in Merishausen.
Sarco Suicide Capsule Used for First Time in Switzerland, Raising Concerns
An investigation is underway into possible charges of incitement and accessory to suicide. It is believed that the death may be attributed to the first-ever use of the Sarco-brand suicide capsule.
Exit International, a Netherlands-based pro-euthanasia group, has admitted responsibility for the incident in a statement, claiming to have orchestrated the euthanization of a 64-year-old American woman suffering from an immune disease.
Sarco Suicide Capsule Used for First Time in Switzerland, Raising Concerns
According to Exit International, the woman died in a specially designed "suicide capsule" filled with nitrogen gas. The Sarco capsule is an airtight cabin resembling a coffin, marketed as offering a "quick, peaceful, and reliable death" without medical assistance.
The group stated that it is still unclear how Swiss authorities will respond, as Swiss law allows for assisted suicide but prohibits individuals from providing assistance with a "self-serving motive."
Sarco Suicide Capsule Used for First Time in Switzerland, Raising Concerns
Exit International founder Dr. Philip Nitschke expressed satisfaction that the Sarco performed as intended, providing an elective and peaceful death at the person's choosing. He confirmed the American woman's death personally.
The Sarco capsule was first unveiled at the Venice Design Festival in 2019. It is 3-D printed and designed to fill itself with nitrogen gas, inducing hypoxic death to the occupant within 10 minutes of activation.
Switzerland legalized assisted dying in 1941, but it must be carried out without "external assistance" or by individuals with a "self-serving motive."
The use of the Sarco capsule has raised ethical and legal concerns, with critics arguing that it could be used for non-terminal conditions and undermine the principles of assisted suicide.
The incident has highlighted the growing debate over the role of assisted suicide in end-of-life care, prompting discussions about the need for clear guidelines and regulations to prevent its misuse and ensure that it is carried out within strict ethical bounds.
