Swiss authorities have detained multiple individuals following the first use of a futuristic-looking capsule intended for assisted suicide, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
Police in the northern canton of Schaffhausen, which borders Germany, reported that the so-called 'Sarco' capsule was utilized in a wooded area within the municipality of Merishausen on Monday. Prosecutors in Schaffhausen have initiated criminal proceedings against several individuals for 'inducing and aiding and abetting suicide,' the police statement noted, adding that multiple people were arrested, though specifics about them or the deceased were not provided.
A spokesperson for The Last Resort, the organization behind the capsule, disclosed that the deceased was a 64-year-old American woman suffering from a severely compromised immune system. Florian Willet, co-president of The Last Resort, was among the four detainees, which also included a Dutch journalist and two Swiss individuals, according to the spokesperson. Willet was the sole other person present when the woman took her life, the spokesperson added.
In a statement issued by The Last Resort, Willet described the death as 'peaceful, fast, and dignified.' The Last Resort spokesperson also mentioned that the woman had undergone psychiatric evaluations before ending her life.
A spokesperson for the Schaffhausen prosecutors declined to provide details or confirm the number of detainees. The 'Sarco' capsule, designed with sleek, aerodynamic lines, induces death by releasing nitrogen gas inside, thereby reducing oxygen levels to fatal levels. It was conceptualized by Philip Nitschke, an Australian physician renowned for his work on assisted suicide since the 1990s.
Switzerland has become a focal point for advocates of assisted suicide due to its legal framework, and The Last Resort asserts that its legal counsel advised that the capsule could be deployed. The capsule has sparked significant media coverage and debate among authorities regarding its legality.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, the Swiss health minister, stated on Monday that the capsule does not comply with product safety laws and that its use of nitrogen is not legally permissible.
