The suicide capsule has been allegedly used for the first time in Schaffhausen. Cantonal police has confirmed they are investigating, and they will make a public announcement later today.
Tangentially, I’m not sure about what I was expecting after clicking on the link on blick, but I was not expecting an autoplay video with a timeshare sales person speaking in English
The Schaffhaussen police has made a press release. There’s people in custody for “incitement and aiding suicide”.
The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several people for incitement and aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) and several people have been placed in police custody.
The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed by a law firm on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen. As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime. In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy. In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were placed in police custody. The public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offenses.
Based on official and investigative secrecy, no further information will be provided at this time. The presumption of innocence applies.
Blick reports the dead is a US citizen, so expect more details from US press later today which is not bounded by Swiss laws.
It’s legal if done following an approved protocol.
Azote, which is what was used here, has not yet been approved for use in Switzerland plus there are other criteria which need to be adhered to.
Taking a weird capsule thing to a cabin in the woods does look a bit dodgy to most people.
Assisted suicide is NOT illegal, per se, in Switzerland. But it is NOT legal either. The police investigate every death and determine if the believe a crime has been committed. Where they do then the courts, and often the supreme court, makes the determination.
Recently EXIT which aided a healthy woman to join her terminally ill husband in an assisted suicide were exonerated of committing a crime. These cases push the envelope of what is permissible and what isn’t.
This pod wouldn’t be my chosen method but it is only one method. If the suicide itself is determined to have been not illegal the actual method could be moot.
It does seem like a lot of hype to me. Why bother 3d printing this funky looking thing and lugging it to some peaceful space? You have to source nitrogen too, so why not just use a facemask?
That is why you use a hollow point that will go in but won´t go through, it will just turn your brain in to a smoothy and a big bin bag with tie wraps to keep it all in place.
And if you really want to be helpful, do it on a Euro-Pallette.
Maybe yes, maybe not. I’d refer to post#1: one of developers of the Sarco capsule talks like an annoying sales person making the whole thing undignified.
Anyway, to avoid further unpleasantness, please clarify the acceptable limits to talk about suicide.