On Tuesday, the regional criminal court handed her a 15-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of CHF20,000 ($20,137). The court decided that the 60-year-old woman who wanted to her life was not capable of discernment and that the doctor had acted out of idealism.
The 61-year-old doctor, who is president of an assisted suicide organisation called Eternal Spirit, did not request independent expert opinions as done by similar organisations such as Exit. The woman had initially approached Exit but was not accepted as she needed to provide a medical certificate.
The prosecution relied on a psychiatric report that established that the 60-year-old suffered from severe depressive disorders. The woman was probably aware she had a mental illness but did not want to admit it. This would have resulted in a “biased” testimony of a willingness to die. The prosecution had requested a five-year prison sentence (the minimum for murder) and a fine of CHF10,000.
Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when patients commit the act themselves and helpers have no vested interest in their death. Assisted suicide has been legal in the country since the 1940. Death is usually induced through a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by a doctor. Ingestion of the poison, whether by drinking it or through the use of intravenous drips or stomach tubes, must be carried out by the person wanting to die.
A 2006 decision by the Swiss Federal Court ruled that all people of sound judgment, irrespective of whether they suffer from a mental illness, have the right to decide the manner of their death. However, they must retain the capacity to judge the significance of suicide.
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Demographics
Growing number of people sign up for assisted suicide
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Every year, thousands of people become members of Exit, the largest assisted suicide organisation in Switzerland. Last year was no exception.
12,000 fish to be transferred by helicopter in Swiss river cleanup operation
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Some 12,000 fish are being removed from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park. This operation is necessary before cleaning up the riverbed, which was contaminated by PCBs during maintenance work in 2016.
Swiss parliament approves due diligence for high-risk consultancy activities
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On Thursday, the House of Representatives accepted the draft of the Senate, which was largely watered down compared to the government's original proposal.
Zurich Film Festival will show 114 films and honour Russell Crowe
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The 21st Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will screen 114 films, including 16 Swiss productions and 41 European or world premieres, from 25 September to 5 October. Actor Russell Crowe will receive an honorary lifetime achievement award.
Emergency financial aid authorised for Swiss village buried by landslide
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The Valais Grand Council gives the green light for a solidarity contribution of CHF 10 million for the village of Blatten, which was destroyed by the landslide. The aid is to benefit the population, companies and associations.
New attempt to regulate assisted suicide in Switzerland fails
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Assisted suicide will not be regulated in Switzerland. On Thursday, the Senate rejected a motion from its Legal Affairs Committee.
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In Switzerland, over 20,000 people are hospitalised with sepsis every year. Around 4,000 die as a result, as a new report from the Swiss Sepsis Programme shows.
Swiss SME sentiment remains stable despite steep US tariffs
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Despite the high US tariffs, the mood among Swiss SMEs has hardly deteriorated. However, two thirds of export-oriented companies have now adjusted their export strategy, with one in ten even questioning it as a whole.
Doctor blamed for death of British assisted suicide companion
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The tragedy took place in October 2016 at a Zurich-area apartment provided by Dignitas. It was here that the mother ended her life with the aid of the assisted suicide organisation. However, her daughter fell ill at the apartment, vomiting for half an hour before a Dignitas staff member called for a doctor. A sedative…
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In Switzerland, it’s illegal to perform active assisted suicide by administering a lethal dose of a drug to alleviate the suffering of a terminally ill patient. On the other hand Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when a person administers the lethal dose themselves and the people assisting have no vested interest in the person’s death.…
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Exit Romandie, Exit Deutsche Schweiz, Dignitas, Ex International und Lifecircle demand the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) readjust the national research programme end of life NRP 67. They claim the CHF15 million ($16 million) programme is “unscientific”, “biased” and “full of Catholic morality”. The science foundation firmly rejects the charges. The scientific quality of the…
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