South African prof. Sean Davison, who helped his terminally ill mother commit suicide in New Zealand in 2006, today received 5 months home detention.The Judge accepted his motive was mercy, not personal gain, and that his mother put him under pressure to help her die but that the law must uphold the sanctity of life. Bishop Desmond Tutu had asked the New Zealnd court for clemency and for deleting the charge of incitement to suicide from the verdict, both requests were obviously granted. He now pleaded guilty only to procurement and assistance with suicide.
Facing the press outside the courthouse he expressed gratitude to the judge but said that the law needed urgent change to prevent more innocents from being prosecuted.