| EDITORIAL |
| Dear reader Assisted suicide is still prohibited by law in many countries. Free and responsible citizens continue to be patronised and prevented against their will from ending their suffering and life in a manner they personally consider dignified. Relatives and friends who respect the wish of a seriously ill person to die and who give him or her their support are still being treated as criminals. Freedom of choice, self-determination and self-responsibility in life and at life’s end: this is what “DIGNITAS – To live with dignity – To die with dignity” continues to work for internationally; in its political and legal work, in its daily advising of individuals seeking help, and in preparing and providing assisted suicide for suffering individuals who have made a clear and well-considered choice and who are still denied this right in their home country.Feel free to share our newsletter with other interested parties. You are also welcome to show support for our goals and international activities by joining as a member or by making a donation.  |
| COUNTRY UPDATE |
 AUSTRIAConstitutional Court judgement: professional assistance in suicide to be further liberalised Guest article by Heidemarie Hurtl At the beginning of 2022, the so-called “Sterbeverfügungsgesetz” (short for: “Federal Act on Establishing Advance Directives for Assistance in Suicide” / “Bundesgesetz über die Errichtung von Sterbeverfügungen”) came into force in Austria. The Act allows … read more |
 ENGLAND AND WALESAssisted dying still a hot topic Guest article by Trevor MooreIn England and Wales the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill continues its progress through the parliamentary process. Since last reporting, the Bill has passed its second reading by 330 to 275, a majority of 55. This was effectively an ‘in principle’ decision by Parliament to introduce an assisted dying law. But now the real … read more |
 USAThe current aid in dying landscape in the United States Guest article by Mary EwertThe threat to end of life choice in the US is higher than at any time in the recent past. With an unfriendly and anti-human-rights federal administration taking power, and voters in the State of West Virginia narrowly approving an amendment to prohibit aid in dying … read more |
| INSIDE DIGNITAS |
| Series: Insights into working at DIGNITAS Part 1: An interview with Carola* from the First Contact Team What brought you to DIGNITAS? I was looking for a meaningful job. From personal experience, I was very aware of the importance of self-determining and shaping one’s own life until the end. When I came across a job ad from DIGNITAS, I knew this was what I wanted. And to my great pleasure, it actually worked out! What are the tasks of the First Contact Team? The members of the First Contact Team distribute, process and answer incoming letters and emails and answer phone calls. Every day, we receive 20 to 50 calls and 150 to 250 emails from all over the world. What are the main concerns of people who contact DIGNITAS? People who contact DIGNITAS are usually in a very difficult life situation. They are often people who are personally affected and for the first time deal in-depth with a self-determined end of life, looking for information and options. Sometimes, relatives or friends of someone affected contact us. It is usually about assisted suicide, sometimes also about advance directives. The majority of people who contact us are suffering from a serious somatic illness, but there are also people with mental illnesses who are looking for a way out of their suffering and do not know how to carry on. What do you particularly like about working in the First Contact Team? The conversations with the people who contact us are about profound, existential questions. These are as diverse and individual as their personal history. This is also very enriching on a human level. Which situations touch you particularly? The preparation phase of an assisted suicide is complex and takes a lot of time. If someone contacts us at a very advanced stage of a terminal illness, or a person’s condition suddenly deteriorates rapidly, there is sometimes simply not enough time left for an assisted suicide, for example because the person lives abroad, is no longer able to travel, or can no longer express themselves. It is sometimes very difficult for me to have to turn down the person or their relatives. What helps you in difficult situations? We are very open in our team and also with our team leader. We exchange with each other about heavy situations. Sometimes it’s sufficient to just take a break, breathe and turn one’s mind to other things. I also find balance in my private life. We all work part-time, and I use my free time to go out into nature, listen to music, cook or socialise with friends, for example. What qualities are important for this kind of work? We take an open-outcome approach to dialogue and don’t want to force anyone down a particular path or make a decision for them. First and foremost, you have to be a good listener. It is important to give the other person’s concerns and thoughts space without judgement, to understand their situation, to ask questions if anything is unclear and to support them with information. Of course, it also requires respect for and interest in people and their stories. And the ability to engage without losing personal distance. As DIGNITAS deals with people from all over the world, very good spoken and written foreign language skills in English, French and Italian are required in addition to German. Has working at DIGNITAS changed you? Yes, a lot. When you have so much to do with people at the end of their lives, a lot of things in your own life are put into perspective. Above all, I’ve become more relaxed and considerate and no longer take many things as seriously as I used to. Interpersonal relationships have become much more important, and I no longer dwell so much on banalities. ___ *Carola has been working at DIGNITAS for three years. In addition to her work in the First Contact Team, she also accompanies members during an assisted suicide. |
| WORTH SEEING / READING |
| Interview with Spanish film director Carlos Marques-Marcet about his film “Polvo serán» (“They Will Be Dust”) “Polvo serán” is a fictional drama with musical elements. Parts of the film were shot in Switzerland, including at DIGNITAS . The film premiered in September 2024 at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Platform Award. It has toured various other festivals and won other awards/mentions since. “Polvo serán” was released in Spanish cinemas in November 2024. The story: 70-year-old Claudia gets diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to end her life through an assisted suicide. The film shows Claudia’s emotional journey surrounding her decision as well as the complex family and relationship dynamics and ways of coping with the situation. Claudia’s husband of 40 years, Flavio, cannot imagine life without her and decides to travel with her to Switzerland. Their daughter Violeta becomes a mediator between the two while trying to clarify her own thoughts. In an interview with DIGNITAS, Carlos Marques-Marcet provides fascinating insights into the making of the film and his personal and artistic exploration of self-determined dying. Read the interview |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT … |
| … there is no such thing as a “healthy person who wants to die”? In Switzerland, it was long disputed whether assisted suicide was also permissible for people who do not have an illness in the medical sense. This question has now been clarified. Dr Pierre Beck, former President of EXIT Suisse romande, had provided assisted suicide for an 86-year-old woman who was supposedly healthy, together with her seriously ill husband. The elderly wife had decided that she did not want to continue living without her husband under any circumstances. The case was scrutinized by various courts and no violation of applicable law was found by the Federal Supreme Court. It should be noted in this context that a serious suffering can also exist even if there is no medical diagnosis as defined in the ICD and ICF classification tables. This also follows from the constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO): “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” [1]. The well-being and thus quality of life of someone who, like the woman in Dr Pierre Beck’s case, does not wish to continue living is undoubtedly impaired and the person cannot be considered “healthy” in the sense of this definition. Someone who wishes to end their life by doctor-supported professional assistance in suicide due to existential suffering is always faced with the challenge to objectivate the suffering they experience subjectively, thus making their end-of-life choice comprehensible for those assisting – medical doctor, DIGNITAS, authorities, next-of-kin. ___[1] https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution |
Switzerland