On Wednesday August 3, right-to-death campaigner Marco Cappato reported himself to Carabinieri police in Milan after accompanying a terminally ill cancer patient to a clinic in Switzerland to commit assisted suicide.
The case of the woman, a 69-year-old named Elena, has moved the nation after she recorded a video message explaining her decision before she died. Elena was not eligible to commit assisted suicide in Italy due to the specifics of her case.
Cappato, a leading member of the Luca Coscioni right-to-die association, risks a jail term of up to 12 years for assisting suicide. The activist, who has also helped other people in similar situations, berated Italy’s politicians for failing to pass legislation on end-of-life issues. “There has been no response from the parliament, from the political world, from the leaders of the big parties,” he said.
Italy