Suicide capsule “Sarco”: “A PR coup distributed via SRG subsidiary Swissinfo”

There was great fuss about the announcement of a new type of suicide capsule, called “Sarco”. At the beginning of December, its inventor, the Australian doctor and euthanasia pioneer Philip Nitschke, announced that it would probably be used in Switzerland as early as 2022. An expert opinion confirms that this is legally possible without further ado.

Now it turns out that Nitschke’s promise was a bit full-bodied.

The NZZ reports today that the euthanasia association, with the Nitschke wanted to work together, withdrew ha be . It is not specified which club is involved. Unlike Exit, however, he also accompanies those from abroad who are willing to die. The preparations for the use of the «Sarco» are now from Club stopped . J ene willing to die n , who had already registered for it, have to look for another solution. This is partly because, despite the expert opinion, it is by no means clear whether euthanasia with the “Sarco” is legal here.

There were already doubts in December

Jürg Wiler, Vice President of the Exit German Switzerland Association, is not very surprised by this development. Already in December he doubted this newspaper on the content of the legal opinion, which supports the use of the « Sarco » according to Nitschke’s information. Today he sees the announcement as a strategic maneuver: “With this PR coup, Nitschke probably wanted to test out what the mood is like in Switzerland in this regard.”

It is now also criticized that the capsule, in which death is to be caused by nitrogen, was only tested by machines, not with humans. But this would have been a condition that it could be used in Switzerland.

There were also doubts about Nitschke’s plans that those willing to die could have had their wishes and their ability to make judgments checked by means of an online test. Here, too, the legal situation is unclear, said the former Chief Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Zurich, Andreas Brunner , towards this newspaper. “There is a large gray area when it comes to the ability to make judgments, for example due to the onset of dementia or depression in old age. I doubt in the highest degree that an artificial intelligence can detect this. “

“We cannot imagine that a technologized capsule will meet with broad acceptance in Switzerland.”

Dignitas

The Dignitas team was also skeptical about Nitschke’s plans from the start: “In view of the established, safe and proven practice, we cannot imagine a technologized capsule for a self-determined end of life in Switzerland will meet with broad acceptance . You can’t help but get the impression that Swissinfo, notably a platform de r SRG, for a PR campaign by the Dutch-Australian organization Exit International clamped in », Dignitas said on request.

The «Tesla of euthanasia», as the device is called , is in Switzerland therefore slowed down.

Published: January 5th, 2022, 3:46 pm

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