The death of an American woman in her 60s for the first time in Switzerland has led to a full-fledged police investigation into those involved. The capsule has not been approved by the Swiss government.
According to the Guardian and other foreign media on Monday (local time), a 64-year-old American woman died after the capsule “Sarco Ford” was first used in a forest in a Swiss village. Swiss police arrested a number of people who were involved in the operation of the capsule. They are investigating the alleged instigation and assistance of suicide.
Assisted death refers to death in the form of administering drugs received from medical staff by the patient himself. It is distinguished from euthanasia in that the subject is not a medical staff.
The capsule is designed to press a button for injecting nitrogen into an enclosed space where a person can lie down. Within minutes, the capsule suffocated and killed him. In fact, the American woman reportedly fell unconscious within two minutes and died five minutes later.
A German scientist working to legalize assisted death recently told a Swiss media that he had suffered from serious health problems related to autoimmune diseases for many years, adding that his death was peaceful, quick and dignified. It is not known whether the scientist was also arrested this time.
Switzerland is a country that allows assisted death, but it did not approve the use of this capsule due to a large legal and ethical debate.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
