The newsletter of the Dutch organization, Right To Die-NL (NVVE) reports worries about the future of the law permitting voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands.
The head doctor of the intensive care ward where a French paraplegic, Vincent Humbert, died six weeks ago may be charged with premeditated murder for injecting Mr. Humbert with a lethal substance.
The death of Mr. Humbert, 22, which was initially ascribed to his mother, Marie, came after an unsuccessful nine-month campaign by his supporters to make euthanasia legal, an effort that set off a national debate over the issue of assisted suicide.
New Zealand euthanasia campaigner Lesley Martin will be tried in March 2004 for the attempted murder of her mother.
Between now and the two-week trial, police will monitor Ms Martin’s web site to make sure she does not breach her bail conditions.
Ms Martin is prohibited from speaking about her own case, but can speak about other cases.
She says she is currently gathering signatures for an open letter to Parliament.
The widow of a euthanasia campaigner was arrested on November 17, 2003, in connection with his death a month ago. Mrs. Patricia Kneen was arrested at her home in Port Erin, Isle of Man. She was questioned at a police station and later released on bail.
Patrick Kneen, 74, a farmer, died from prostate cancer. He spent the last months of his life trying to persuade politicians on the island to change the law on euthanasia.
The Swiss euthanasia organization DIGNITAS has recently been obliged to virtually close its doors due to enormous pressure of work. It has received extensive world publicity this year about its euthanasia services, resulting in it being swamped with applications. It has been reduced to sending automatic, formal replies to inquirers. DIGNITAS is based in Forch, close to Zurich.
President’s Report by Michael Irwin, MD, President of the World Federation of Right To Die Societies.
Report from the 2003 meeting of the RTD-E by Ron Plummer, President of the Europe Division.
Summary
Motion in Swiss parliament submitted by Anne-Catherine Menétrey-Savary
Death represents the only certitude we have in life. Our hour will inevitably come and each person must ask himself how he wishes to die. Doctors, like everyone else, are vulnerable beings and they are subjective and emotive, and have personal ethics based on religious beliefs and philosophies. We identify with each other and are faced with our own death and the questions: when will it occur and how?
We know very well that there is no age for dying and that death can knock on our door at any moment and under the most unexpected circumstances.
In issue no. 24 of the Swiss doctors’ bulletin for the month of June, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences presented its first publication on the subject of “Treatment and care of the elderly and dependent” to be consulted by the medical profession. We found several of the points raised in this eleven page document particularly worthy of note.
Chapter 2, regarding the “decision-making process”, acknowledges the initial directives and recommends appointing a trusted person as a therapeutic representative.
World Federation Annual Global Report (2003): The annual global report of the president of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies. The report is about the developments worldwide in the field of the right to die in 2003.
