Four people are in custody after being arrested in connection with the first case of euthanasia using Sarco capsules and are charged with aiding and abetting suicide. Interior Ministry chief Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who also oversees healthcare, called the use of the capsule illegal shortly before the incident, Swiss media reported.
According to the SDA agency, after the first use of the capsule by a 64-year-old American woman, one of the executives of the Swiss company The Last Resort, which offers voluntary euthanasia services, was arrested on Monday. Florian Willetas well as two lawyers and a Dutch journalist who were present at the launch. According to the public prosecutor of the canton of Schaffhausen, where the incident took place, the four remain in custody as of Wednesday morning.
According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, the public prosecutor’s office was notified of the euthanasia by an anonymous lawyer, after which a police team was sent to the scene, as well as doctors who were to perform an autopsy on the body. It should be noted that criminal proceedings have been initiated against several people for inciting and assisting suicide.
As reported by the SRF portal, on September 23, shortly before the launch of the capsule, Baume-Schneider, during a meeting of the National Council (large chamber of parliament) of the country, stated that the Sarco capsule violates current legislation and should not be used. In particular, the device does not meet the requirements of the law on product safety and the use of chemical substances.
The portal reports that the manufacturers’ intentions to launch the capsule in Switzerland sparked a discussion about compliance with the law last summer. At the time, prosecutors in several cantons said they would initiate criminal proceedings if the capsule was used in their jurisdiction.
According to the newspaper Blick, each euthanasia case costs local authorities 3,000 Swiss francs ($3,500). This is because in the case of an “atypical death,” the law requires police and forensic doctors to arrive at the scene and remove the body for an autopsy. At the same time, as the publication notes, cantonal authorities fear a significant increase in costs, as Swiss organizations for voluntary end-of-life care attract more and more people, even from abroad.
