Pacts between couples who want to die are increasingly common in the absence of assisted dying, a coroner in the UK said.
This remark was made by David Ridley, Wiltshire and Swindon coroner, during the inquest into the deaths of Claudia Forbes, 62, and husband Andrew, 72, known as Ian. Mr Forbes, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and his wife were found dead at their home in Warminster, Wiltshire, on December 7, 2021. “Being private people it seems they made a decision, and increasingly we are seeing this now,” said the coroner. He also said there was no evidence of any third party involvement.
Mr Ridley continued: “People want to take control over the end of their lives into their own hands – maybe that is a failing on the part of parliament that they don’t provide support for people.” He remarked that the UK did not have anything equivalent to the Swiss assisted dying clinic Dignitas. “It is a possibility that Claudia felt without Ian, because they were such a close knit couple, she didn’t want to be on this planet any longer and that is why they took the action they did.”
United Kingdom