Advocacy groups promoting the use of a controversial suicide capsule , known as " Sarco ," announced on Sunday that they have halted the application process for its use, which had attracted over 370 inquiries. This decision follows a criminal investigation into the capsule's inaugural deployment in Switzerland.
Florian Willet , president of The Last Resort , is currently in pretrial detention alongside several others. His arrest comes after the death of a 64-year-old woman from the Midwest USA, who on September 23 became the first person to use the device in a forested area of Schaffhausen, near the German border. Swiss authorities confirmed that Willet was present at the time of her death.
Swiss police detained multiple individuals connected to the incident, although some have since been released. The woman had reportedly passed psychiatric assessments prior to using the capsule, according to a spokesperson for The Last Resort.
The Sarco capsule, designed by Australian physician Philip Nitschke, operates by releasing nitrogen gas, which reduces oxygen levels and induces death. Nitschke has been a prominent figure in the assisted suicide movement for decades. The capsule has garnered significant media attention and sparked debate among lawmakers regarding its legal status.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Switzerland’s health minister, stated that the Sarco does not comply with existing product safety regulations. She clarified that while assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, the act must be conducted without "external assistance" and without any self-serving motives from those aiding the process.
Despite the suspension of applications, Exit International, the group associated with Nitschke, maintains that they were advised that the use of Sarco was legal under Swiss law. They reported that the timing of the health minister's comments was coincidental and not influenced by the use of the device.
Florian Willet , president of The Last Resort , is currently in pretrial detention alongside several others. His arrest comes after the death of a 64-year-old woman from the Midwest USA, who on September 23 became the first person to use the device in a forested area of Schaffhausen, near the German border. Swiss authorities confirmed that Willet was present at the time of her death.
Swiss police detained multiple individuals connected to the incident, although some have since been released. The woman had reportedly passed psychiatric assessments prior to using the capsule, according to a spokesperson for The Last Resort.
The Sarco capsule, designed by Australian physician Philip Nitschke, operates by releasing nitrogen gas, which reduces oxygen levels and induces death. Nitschke has been a prominent figure in the assisted suicide movement for decades. The capsule has garnered significant media attention and sparked debate among lawmakers regarding its legal status.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Switzerland’s health minister, stated that the Sarco does not comply with existing product safety regulations. She clarified that while assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, the act must be conducted without "external assistance" and without any self-serving motives from those aiding the process.
Despite the suspension of applications, Exit International, the group associated with Nitschke, maintains that they were advised that the use of Sarco was legal under Swiss law. They reported that the timing of the health minister's comments was coincidental and not influenced by the use of the device.
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