WFRtDS Newsletter 60 can be downloaded here.
The editor has been made aware by Ludwig A. Minelli and Silvan Luley of Dignitas, that a couple of items were not completely correct. See the rectifications below:
Rectifications WF Newsletter May 2011 We have been made aware that a number of items are not completely correct:
- The next World Conference – to be organised by EXIT Deutsche Schweiz – will take place from 13 – 17 June 2012 in Zürich, Switzerland
- Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland since 1942, not 1941 (page 1) • The discussion in the French Senate (page 2) took place without a positive result
- Switzerland has 4 RtD Organisations: EXIT Deutsche Schweiz, EXIT ADMD, Dignitas and EX International; the first three are members of WFRtDS (page 3)
- The fees for Dignitas support mentioned on page 3 are not correct; they should be SFr 3,000 for preparatory activity and another SFr 3,000 for the actual assistance . Fees paid to Dignitas do NOT cover “autopsies and medical examination”. The cost of an autopsy – if taking place at all – is covered by the Canton of Zürich. Medical examinations have to be paid separately
- Nan Maitland used the services of EX International and not those of Dignitas (page 7) (by the way Dignitas has never been, is not and will never be a clinic)
- The news on a change in German doctor’s attitude, reported on page 7, is unfortunately has been overtaken by decisions on the “Bundesärztetag” (meeting of German doctor’s meeting) in Kiel. It is true that the board of the Bundes Ärztekammer informed the public in March this year that the intention was to liberalise the professional rules concerning assistance with suicide (legal in Germany!!), but after an intervention of Archbishop Zolling, Chief of the German Bishops, things went the opposite way: physicians must not assist patients to their suicide.
- Please take good notice of these rectifications when reading the last WF Newsletter.