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Euthanasia
Types
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Views
Religious (Buddhist · Catholic)
Groups
Dignitas · Dignity in Dying Exit International
People
Jack Kevorkian · Philip Nitschke
Books
Final Exit The Peaceful Pill Handbook
Jurisdictions
Australia · Canada Mexico · Netherlands New Zealand · Switzerland United Kingdom · United States
Laws
Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 Oregon Death with Dignity Act Washington Death with Dignity Act
Court cases
Washington v. Glucksberg (1997) Gonzales v. Oregon (2006) Baxter v. Montana (2009)
Alternatives
Assisted suicide · Palliative care Principle of double effect Terminal sedation
Other issues
Suicide tourism Groningen Protocol Euthanasia device

Dignitas is a Swiss assisted dying group that helps those with terminal illness and severe physical and mental illnesses to die assisted by qualified doctors and nurses. Additionally, they provide euthanasia for people with incurable mental illnesses provided that they are of sound judgment and submit to an in-depth medical report prepared by a psychiatrist that establishes the patient's condition as fulfilling the specifications of the Federal Court of Switzerland.^[1]

Contents 1 History and operation 1.1 Suicide method 2 Statistics 2.1 High-costs and non-transparent finances 2.2 Suicide tourism 2.3 Allegations by Dignitas ex-employee 2.4 Reaction of local Swiss people and organisations 2.5 Patient selection 2.6 Cremation Urns Found in Lake Zurich 3 Other organizations in Switzerland 4 Dignitas in media 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

History and operation

Dignitas was founded in 1998 by Ludwig A. Minelli, a Swiss lawyer. Swiss laws on assisted suicide clearly state that people who assist in an assisted suicide can only be prosecuted if they are motivated by self-interest, an important legal point. As a result, Dignitas ensures that it acts as an entirely neutral party by proving that aside from non-recurring fees, they have absolutely nothing whatsoever to gain from the deaths of its members. This is done in the following manner: the person who wishes to die meets several Dignitas personnel, in addition to an independent doctor, for a private consultation. The independent doctor assesses the evidence provided by the patient and is met on two separate occasions, with a time gap between each of the consultations.^[2] Legally admissible proof that the person wishes to die is also created, i.e. a signed affidavit, countersigned by independent witnesses. In cases where a person is physically unable to sign a document, a short video film of the person is made in which they are asked to confirm their identity, that they wish to die, and that their decision is made of their own free will, without any form of coercion. Such evidence of informed consent is entirely private and is not intended to ever be made public. The evidence is created and stored purely for use in any possible future legal dispute regarding the person who wishes to die, e.g. allegations that someone was forced to commit suicide. Finally, a few minutes before the lethal overdose is provided, the person is once again reminded that taking the overdose will surely kill them. Additionally, they are asked several times whether they want to proceed, or take some time to consider the matter further. This gives the person the opportunity to stop the process. However, if at this point the person states that they are determined to proceed, a lethal overdose is provided and ingested.^[3]

Suicide method

In general, Dignitas uses the following protocol to assist suicides: an oral dose of an anti-emetic drug, followed approximately 30 minutes later by a lethal overdose of powdered Nembutal (15 grams^[4]) dissolved in a glass of water or fruit juice. If necessary, the drugs can be ingested via a drinking straw. The Nembutal overdose depresses the central nervous system, causing the person to become drowsy and fall asleep within 10 minutes of drinking it. Anaesthesia progresses to coma as the person's breathing becomes more shallow. Death is caused by respiratory arrest, which occurs within 30 minutes of ingesting the Nembutal.

In a few cases in 2008, Dignitas used breathing helium gas^[5] as a suicide method instead of a Nembutal overdose. Some people believe that hypoxic death caused by helium is less peaceful than Nembutal ingestion and causes shaking and twitching ^[6].

Statistics

Ludwig Minelli said in one interview ^[5] in March 2008 that Dignitas had thus far assisted 840 people to die, 60% of them Germans.

Most people coming to Dignitas do not plan to die but need insurance in case their illness becomes intolerable. Of those who receive the green light, 70% never return to Dignitas ^[5].

21% of people receiving assisted dying in Dignitas do not have a terminal or progressive illness, but rather "weariness of life".^[7]

Dignitas has moved to a new location in a village of Schwerzenbach ^[6] since the article was written.

High-costs and non-transparent finances

According to Ludwig Minelli ^[5], Dignitas charges its patients €4,000 (£3,182/$5,263.16) for preparation and suicide assistance, or €7,000 (£5,568/$9,210.53) in case of taking over family duties, including funerals, medical costs and official fees.

Despite being a non-profit organization, Dignitas has repeatedly refused to open its finances to the public ^[8].

Suicide tourism

Although the assisted suicide market is largely German, as of October 2008, approximately 100 British citizens had travelled to Switzerland from the UK to die at one of Dignitas' rented apartments in Zurich.

In July 2009, British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Joan died together at a suicide clinic outside Zürich "under circumstances of their own choosing." Sir Edward was not terminally ill, but his wife was diagnosed with rapidly developing cancer.^[9]

In March 2010, British comics artist John Hicklenton ended his life at the Dignitas clinic following a 10-year battle with multiple sclerosis.^[10]

Allegations by Dignitas ex-employee

Soraya Wernli (a nurse employed by Dignitas for two-and-a-half years, until March 2005), accused the organization of being a 'production line of death concerned only with profits'. Amongst other allegations of irregularities, Wernli has pressed for an official examination of Dignitas' financial records. Although approximately £7,000 is charged for an assisted suicide and funeral, Wernli claims many wealthy and vulnerable people (e.g. Martha Hauschildt) have bequeathed vast sums to Minelli. Following the suicide of Peter Auhagen in August 2004 (this allegedly took 70 hours and he allegedly was in agony),

...the machine had a fault which meant it couldn’t pump all the poison into his system. The man was partially poisoned, in agony and thrashing around in a coma, frothing at the mouth and sweating. ... It was a terrible thing to witness, and I knew it could not go on. ^[11]

Wernli resigned from her job at Dignitas and contacted the Swiss police. Dignitas denied all the allegations and pointed out that Wernli left Dignitas several years ago and cannot know how Dignitas works now. ^[12] Minelli said that "If the state prosecutors feel I’m making myself rich they should start legal proceedings."^[13] Establishing what happens now at Dignitas is very difficult as employees are required to maintain secrecy. ^[14]

Reaction of local Swiss people and organisations

Its director, Ludwig Minelli describes the difficulties that Dignitas has faced over the years ^[15]. In Sept 2007, it was evicted, blocked or locked out of three flats forcing Mr Minelli to offer assisted dying to two German men in a car. In Oct 2007 Dignitas was prevented from working in a private house by the local council and refused rooms on an industrial site. In Dec 2007 an interim judgement prevented Dignitas from working in a building next to a busy brothel.

Patient selection

Although Dignitas and Exit provide little or no data into its activities, it is known that 21% of people receiving assistance by Dignitas and 65% of women attending Exit do not have a terminal or progressive illness.^[16]

Cremation Urns Found in Lake Zurich

In April 2010, police divers found a group of over 60 cremation urns in Lake Zurich. Each of the urns bore the logo of the Nordheim crematorium used by Dignitas. Soraya Wernli, a former employer, had told The Times newspaper 18 months previously that Dignitas had dumped at least 300 urns in the lake. She claimed that Minelli dumped them there himself, but later asked his daughter and another member of staff to do it. In 2008 two members of Dignitas were caught trying to pour the ashes of 20 dead people into the lake.^[17][18]

Other organizations in Switzerland

EXIT is another Swiss organization providing assisted suicide. In 2008, it had 50,000 members. However, EXIT strictly denies suicide assistance for people from abroad ^[19].

EXIT Switzerland is not affiliated with Exit International, the similarly named voluntary euthanasia organization founded by Philip Nitschke.

Dignitas in media

In 2008, a documentary film known as The Suicide Tourist (Selbstmord-Touristen in the German version) was filmed, directed by John Zaritsky^[20]. The documentary depicts stories of several people who come to Switzerland to end their lives. The film was shown on the Swiss television network SF1 and is available as a web movie on the Dignitas website^[21].

Right to Die? is a controversial documentary aired on Sky Real Lives about the assisted suicide of Craig Ewert, a 59-year-old retired university professor who suffered from motor neurone disease. Ewert traveled to Switzerland where he was assisted by the Dignitas NGO. The documentary shows him passing away with Mary, his wife of 37 years, at his side. Oscar-winning Canadian John Zaritsky directed and produced the film.

The BBC produced a film titled A Short Stay in Switzerland ^[22] telling the story of Dr Anne Turner, who made the journey to the Dignitas assisted suicide clinic, on 24 January 2006 she ended her life, the day before her 67th birthday. The film was shown on BBC1 on January, 25, 2009.

British maestro Sir Edward Downes, who conducted the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Opera but struggled in recent years (but was not terminally ill) as his hearing and sight failed, died with his wife, who had terminal cancer, at an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland in July of 2009. He was 85 and she was 74.^[9]

French lesbian theorist and translator, Michele Causse chose to die on her birthday, July 30, 2010, in association with Dignitas.^[23][24]

Dignitas has also advocated for the rights of a Canadian couple, Betty and George Coumbias, to fulfill a mutual suicide pact. The Coumbias seek to become the first husband and wife to kill themselves simultaneously with legal authorization.^[25]

In March 2010, the PBS FRONTLINE TV program in the United States showed a documentary called "The Suicide Tourist" which told the story of Professor Craig Ewert, his family, and Dignitas, and their decision to commit assisted suicide in Switzerland after he was diagnosed and suffering with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).^[26]

See also

• Assisted suicide
• Philip Nitschke
• Derek Humphry
• Betty and George Coumbias
• Right to Die? (documentary)

References

External links

• Exit home page
• Dignitas website (In German) (some information in english)
• Dignitas: Swiss suicide helpers (BBC news article about Dignitas, Last Updated: Monday, 20 January 2003, 14:38 GMT)
• Death of Sir Edward Thomas Downes, CBE at Dignitas (BBC News Item - July 2009)
• Jacob Appel. "Next: Assisted Suicide for Healthy People". Huffington Post. July 16, 2009.
• Guide to Dignitas by Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New South Wales

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