The founding president of an assisted dying organization has died by suicide aged 47.
Dr Florian Willet founded The Last Resort, which helped develop the Sarco ‘suicide pod’ that helps people end their lives.
Assisted dying has long be a global topic of debate and is only legal in a handful of countries such as Canada, some parts of Australia, Spain, and Austria.
At the forefront of the assisted dying movement in Switzerland, where it has been legal since 1942.
While assisted suicide is legal in the country, euthanasia is not. They key difference between the two is that a physician can legally provide the means for a patient to end their own life, but they cannot do it themselves.
First user of Sarco pod sparked controversy
The Sarco ‘suicide pod’ was created by Dr Philip Nitschke (Exit International)
In September, a 64-year-old woman became the first person to die by suicide using a Sarco pod after being diagnosed with a severely compromised immune system.
On the same day the woman chose to take her own life, Switzerland’s Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider ruled the device was ‘not legal’.
This led to the arrest of several people involved in her assisted suicide – Dr Willet included – who were under investigation for ‘inducement and aiding and abetting suicide’.
Florian Willet was detained for 70 days
Chief prosecutor Peter Sticher later raised the suspicion of ‘intentional homicide’ after there were allegations that the deceased woman was found with ‘strangulation marks’. However, an autopsy report hasn’t been released to back up such claims, and Sticher never publicly confirmed the presence of the marks.
Dr Willet ended up spending 70 days in custody before he was released in December 2024 after prosecutors changed their minds about having a ‘strong suspicion’ about intentional homicide, as per The Last Resort website.
They did still have a ‘strong suspicion of the crime of inciting and abetting suicide’, however.
Dr Willet was ‘a changed man’
Dr Florian Willet, seen left, has taken his own life (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
While Dr Willet was released, the allegations he was facing and his time behind bars is said to have had a huge impact on his mental wellbeing.
Exit International director Dr Philip Nitschke, the creator of the Sarco pod, recently told Dutch news outlet Volkskrant that Dr Willet had taken his own life last month.
Apparently Dr Willet was ‘a changed man’ after he was released from prison, said Dr Nitschke.
He continued: “Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence. In its place was a man who seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation.”
A different friend of Dr Willet’s echoed similar sentiments about the assisted dying activist, The Independent reports. She said: “This friendly, positive man had changed into an anxious, suspicious person who no longer trusted even his best friends.
“He lived in his own world. He became increasingly distant from his friends.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/Getty
Topics: Mental Health, News, World News
Niamh Shackleton
First person to use controversial suicide pod was allegedly ‘found with strangulation marks’
The controversial suicide pod is yet to be approved for use
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
The first person to use the controversial suicide pod was allegedly ‘found with strangulation marks’, according to reports.
Created by Dr. Philip Nitschke, the Sarco ‘suicide pod’ was made to provide assisted suicide treatments for patients.
It was used for the first time last month on an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the US, who entered the machine and subsequently died.
However, the pod had yet to be approved for use, leading to the arrest of several people over the woman’s death.
A statement from Schaffhausen Police read: “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several persons for incitement, aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) resulting in several persons being placed in police custody.
“The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.
“As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.”
The controversial suicide pod was used for the first time last month (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
Those looking into the matter are now investigating whether the woman could have been killed, with chief prosecutor Peter Sticher raising the prospect of ‘intentional homicide’, as per a report by Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant.
According to local reports, a forensic doctor stated the woman had suffered serious neck injuries, though no autopsy report has been released as of yet.
UNILAD has reached out to The Last Resort for comment.
The suicide pod doesn’t involve anyone else being inside, with the user pressing a button inside that employs nitrogen gas.
Once that button has been pressed, the person inside the pod becomes unconscious in two minutes and dies in around five minutes.
Co-president of The Last Resort Association, Dr. Florian Willet, was said to be the sole witness to the woman’s passing last month.
Florian Willet of The Last Resort (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
The doctor, who also co-developed the pod, stated the individual’s passing was ‘peaceful, fast, and dignified’, according to CBS News.
Willet remains in custody to this day.
Dr. Nitschke previously said the woman travelled to Switzerland to end her life, with the creator claiming she ‘really wanted to die’.
“When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button,” he told de Volkskrant.
“She didn’t say anything. She really wanted to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.
“We saw jerky, small twitches of the muscles in her arms, but she was probably already unconscious by then. It looked exactly how we expected it to look.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Mental Health, News, World News, Health
Callum Jones
Suicide pod gave one final command as first person used the controversial device
The controversial suicide pod is yet to be approved for use
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
An American woman who became the first woman to use the controversial suicide pod was given one final command by the machine before she died.
The Sarco ‘suicide pod’ was designed to provide assisted suicide treatments for patients, and earlier this week, the first person to ever use it took their final breath.
The controversial pod has not been approved for use, however, resulting in the arrest of several people over the woman’s death.
In part, a statement from Schaffhausen Police read: “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several persons for incitement and aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) and several persons have been placed in police custody.
Several people have been arrested after the first person used the controversial suicide pod (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
“The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.
“As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.
“In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy.
“In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were taken into police custody. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offenses.”
The alleged 64-year-old woman who used the machine took to the pod on Monday (23 September), and was told to press a button ‘if you want to die’.
The pod has certainly proved controversial (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the AFP, the machine said: “If you want to die, press this button.”
The unidentified American woman travelled to Switzerland to end her life, with the capsule’s creator, Dr. Philip Nitschke, saying she ‘really wanted to die’.
Speaking to de Volkskrant, the creator said: “When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button.
“She didn’t say anything. She really wanted to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.
“We saw jerky, small twitches of the muscles in her arms, but she was probably already unconscious by then. It looked exactly how we expected it to look.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Mental Health, World News, News
Callum Jones
Several people detained by police as suicide pod is used for the first time
Police in Switzerland have detained people following the first use of the controversial Sarco ‘suicide pod’
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
Police in Switzerland have detained ‘several people’ after a controversial ‘suicide pod’ was used for the first time.
The Sarco ‘suicide pod’ is designed to allow someone who wishes to die by euthanasia to do so as comfortably as possible, and has proven controversial since its announcement.
The pod has never been used before, and works by sealing someone inside.
When they are ready, they can then press a button which will flood the chamber with nitrogen gas.
This is supposed to cause someone to fall asleep and pass away as a result of suffocation within a few minutes.
Schaffhausen Police have since said in a statement: “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several persons for incitement and aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) and several persons have been placed in police custody.
The ‘suicide pod’ (Exit International)
“The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.
“As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.
“In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in.
“The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy.
“In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were taken into police custody. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offenses.
“Based on official and investigative secrecy, no further information will be provided at this time. The presumption of innocence applies.”
The suicide pod drew a lot of backlash following its announcement (Exit International)
The pod is manufactured by 3D-printing, and recently an elderly British couple became the first to sign up for a double ‘suicide pod’ following wife Christine Scott’s dementia diagnosis.
The pod was designed by Dr Philip Nitschke, who has campaigned for people’s right to die when they choose and to ‘de-medicalise the process of dying’, according to an interview published by assisted dying charity Exit International, as per the BBC.
Nitschke has also spoken about further removing restrictions around assisted dying: “We want to remove any kind of psychiatric review from the process and allow the individual to control the method themselves.”
UNILAD has reached out to Philip Nitschke and The Last Resort for comment.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: News, World News, Health, Mental Health
Kit Roberts
Witness who watched first person die in controversial suicide pod describes what happened at the scene
The controversial suicide pod was used for the first time earlier this week
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
A witness who watched the first person die in the controversial suicide pod has revealed exactly what happened.
The Sarco ‘suicide pod’ – created by Dr. Philip Nitschke – was designed to provide assisted suicide treatments for patients.
It was used for the first time earlier this week after an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the US used the machine.
The infamous pod which hadn’t yet been approved for use, resulting in the arrest of several people over the woman’s death.
In part, a statement from Schaffhausen Police read: “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several persons for incitement, aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) resulting in several persons being placed in police custody.
The first person to use the pod died earlier this week (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
“The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.
“As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.
“In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy.
“In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were taken into police custody. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offenses.”
Dr. Florian Willet, co-president of The Last Resort Association, is said to be the sole witness to the woman’s passing.
Several people have been arrested following the pod’s first use (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
The doctor, who also co-developed the pod, stated the woman’s death was ‘peaceful, fast, and dignified’, according to CBS News.
The woman travelled to Switzerland to end her life, with Dr. Nitschke saying she ‘really wanted to die’.
“When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button,” he told de Volkskrant.
“She didn’t say anything. She really wanted to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.
“We saw jerky, small twitches of the muscles in her arms, but she was probably already unconscious by then. It looked exactly how we expected it to look.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741
Featured Image Credit: ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images
