Editor's Note: The following story includes mentions of assisted suicide.
For some years now, a device has been causing controversy: the Sarco pod, a capsule that aims to support those seeking assisted suicide. For obvious reasons, many countries don’t allow the use of this “sarcophagus of the future.” Recently, the use of this device for the first time has created a new chapter of the legal and moral puzzle around assisted suicide. The event happened in a forest in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal, but not in this way.
The news. As Schaffhauser Nachrichten reported, Swiss police have opened a criminal investigation and arrested several people following the death of a 64-year-old American woman on Sept. 24 in a so-called “suicide pod,” according to an English translation provided by Google. It’s the first case in the country, one of the few where assisted suicide is legal, albeit under certain conditions.
Prosecutors also confirmed that they’ve opened an investigation into alleged incitement and complicity in suicide. They’re also investigating whether those involved have committed other crimes. Meanwhile, as reported by Schaffhauser Nachrichten, Swiss Interior Minister Élisabeth Baume-Schneider questioned the moral and legal status of Sarco.
The capsule. In 2018, a group called The Last Resort launched Sarco, a 3D-printed capsule that releases nitrogen gas with the click of a button once a person is inside. The creators claim to be a “small international collective of human rights advocates (with a law, science, medicine and healthcare background).”
The Last Resort’s mission is to “diversify (and improve) the assisted dying process in Switzerland.”
The inventor. The man who created the capsule is Philip Nitschke, an Australian doctor popularly known as “the guru of euthanasia.” He was the first to practice euthanasia in the Netherlands after the country legalized it in 2001. Nitschke is a strong advocate of the “right to die” and has published several books about it. A few years ago, he announced that Sarco would promote the “safe and non-violent taking of life.”
Nitschke recently said on X that the woman had “an idyllic, peaceful death in a Swiss forest” and that the capsule gave her “the death she wanted.” He had reportedly seen the woman’s death via video link in Germany and followed the readings of an oxygen and heart rate monitor attached to her.
How she died. According to The Guardian, “German scientist Florian Willet is said to be the only person present at the American’s death.” Willet is co-chair of The Last Resort. Fiona Stewart, co-president of the same organization, told the Swiss media outlet Blick that Willet said the woman’s death was “peaceful, quick, and dignified.” Stewart added that the woman "had suffered from a number of serious problems related to a severe immune deficiency for many years."
Right to die. According to Blick, the woman spoke to lawyer Stewart before entering the capsule. In her statement, she confirmed that it was her wish to die and that she had the support of her two children. The woman explained that she had wanted to do this for two years after being diagnosed with a serious illness that caused her severe pain.
The lawyer also emphasized that a psychiatrist previously examined the woman and found her mentally healthy.
The controversy. However, open research shows that there’s still a long way to go before using these devices, if they're ever approved for widespread use. Swiss law allows assisted suicide as long as the person takes their own life without “outside help,” and those assisting the person to die don’t do so for “any selfish motive.”
Switzerland approved the use of the capsule in 2021, but controversy has followed the device ever since. After its first use on Monday, the government arrested several people linked with the woman’s death. It also opened an investigation for alleged incitement and complicity in suicide.
Why? From a legal standpoint, it’s unclear what went wrong. However, government officials have openly criticized the device for failing to meet local safety standards. Interests beyond bureaucracy may be behind all the controversy.
The “morality” of wanting to die. From a “moral” point of view, some say it depends on how you look at it. Those that oppose euthanasia cite the same principle as those who oppose suicide, stating that life has an intrinsic value. People like Nitschke reject this theory as a grave error.
“I reject that idea. Someone’s death wish isn’t something that needs to be treated, per se. Another objection is that life is a gift, one you should be thankful for. My counter argument for that is: If life is indeed a gift, you are also allowed to give it away. Otherwise, isn’t it a burden instead of a gift?” he explained in an interview with Vice in 2017.
Doubts about the capsule. The device itself raises other questions. The machine requires the “client” to be over 50 years old to avoid encouraging suicidal ideas in young people. However, what about those with a severe clinical stage, such as severe curable depression? Would they be able to access it?
Nitschke has clearly stated that the answer is yes. A mandatory pre-test via AI will determine whether a person is mentally healthy. This is a thorny issue because it’s not so easy to distinguish between those who are convinced they want to end their lives and those who are considering it because of a mental illness that can be treated.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for help in the U.S. The International Association for Suicide Prevention also provides information for crisis support around the world.
Image | Sarco
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