An investigation has been opened in Switzerland for “incitement and assistance to suicide” after the use of this device which allows suicide without the help of a doctor.
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“If you want to die, press this button“: this is the message that a seriously ill 64-year-old American woman was able to read, who died on Monday, September 23 in a corner of the forest in Switzerland. She killed herself with the help of a machine in the shape of a futuristic sarcophagus, deemed illegal by the authorities who arrested several people. This is the first time that this capsule has been used, according to Swiss media.
A death without panic, with eyes turned towards the sky. This is the promise of the “Sarco”, short for sarcophagus. The capsule – a cross between a tanning bed and a glass coffin – was developed by Philip Nitschke, a former Australian doctor known for his controversial views on suicide and dying. At the push of a button, nitrogen replaces oxygen, causing unconsciousness and death.
According to The Last Resort association, which promotes the device, the use of the capsule is free, but the cost of the nitrogen is 18 francs (19 euros). The association claims that “in due time, 3D printing plans” of the device will be published, “so that people over 50 years of age and of sound mind” can print it, at a cost of around 15,000 euros.
The Schaffhausen public prosecutor’s office was notified on Monday by a law firm “that an assisted suicide using the Sarco capsule had taken place in a forest cabin in Merishausen in the afternoon.” “We found the capsule with the unconscious person inside,” Schaffhausen’s chief prosecutor, Peter Sticher, told the Swiss daily newspaper View.
In a photo sent by the association The Last Resort, this purple mini-cabin screwed onto wheels rests in the half-light of an undergrowth in the canton of Schaffhausen, in the north of Switzerland, a stone’s throw from Germany, a few hours before its use by the sixty-year-old.
The Last Resort Co-Chair Florian Willet was the “only person present” when this American woman from the Midwest died, who suffered from a “severe immune deficiency”. He described his death as “peaceful, fast and dignified.” The body of the deceased was transferred to Zurich for an autopsy.
Suicide-assisted sarcophagus tested in Switzerland
Suicide-assisted sarcophagus tested in Switzerland
Assisted suicide is possible in Switzerland under very specific conditions, but this capsule “Sarco” has caused a stir since its presentation in July. The device has raised important ethical questions but also many legal questions to determine whether or not it can be considered legal. The Swiss Minister of Health finally ruled that it does not comply with the law on product safety and that on chemicals. Several cantons had banned the capsule as an emergency measure this summer, for fear that it would be used on their territory.
According to Swiss law, only those who, “driven by a selfish motive”assisting someone in committing suicide is punishable. The practice of organized assistance with suicide is, however, regulated by medical codes of ethics and organizations such as Exit and Dignitas, which have established their own safeguards (age, illnesses, etc.).
“Sarco“is the complete opposite,” assures Gabriela Jaunin, vice-president of Exit Suisse romande: “That’s not our way of doing things. I find it sad, horrible even, to have to put yourself in a capsule, to be all alone in there. Whereas with Exit and other associations, people who decide to leave are surrounded by their loved ones, can hold their hand… It’s still much gentler than being locked in a capsule.”