ABC News reports (October 22, 2014) that Dr Rodney Syme again was questioned by the police over the death of Steve Guest, a man dying of oesophageal cancer. See our earlier publication about his confession to have prescribed Steve Guest “a sufficient quantity of Nembutal to give him control over the end of his life”, 16 days before he died in 2005.
Dr Syme said he had provided the medication to “palliate his extreme psychological and existential suffering”. He said he had made voluntary statements about the treatment of Mr Guest “deliberately, in order to clarify the position of doctors” who provide end of life treatment.
“The lack of clarity in the law results in patients suffering unnecessarily or doctors acting clandestinely to support their patients,” he said. “Since the Parliament of Victoria declines to clarify the law in this matter, my statement is offered to allow the criminal justice system to determine the matter.”
Dr Syme said police indicated that they were unlikely to prosecute him because of lack of evidence.