First use of the suicide capsule in Schaffhausen

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.

https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/schaffhausen/wurden-beteiligte-sogar-verhaftet-person-stirbt-in-sarco-kapsel-in-schaffhausen-id20166555.html

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 :rofl:

They obviously based the design on a steam iron:

Sarco Suicide Capsule:
image

Tefal Steam Iron:
image

Either that or I’ve got a way of putting mice and other unwanted rodents to sleep at home.

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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.

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bbc picked up on it too, I’m not clear on the charges, is it because there was no doctor involved?

No, that Sarco was not allowed to be used in Switzerland (yet).

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Just wait until the new improved coin operated booths come out, just like predicted in Fururama…
https://www.google.com/search?q=futurama+sucide+booth&rlz=1C5CHFA_enDE1004DE1004&oq=futurama+sucide+booth&aqs=chrome..69i57.9220j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:9068bd4f,vid:X8i5_oeu4z8,st:0

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Somehow I believed that assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland. What’s the truth? Is illegal or legal but only when following specific protocol?

I also can’t imagine how those arrested people got involved knowing that it’s illegal.

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.

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A newspaper from Netherlands claims one reporter taking photos was one of the arrested. Use online translation for Dutch.

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.

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This is a bit funny since the air we breathe is around 78% nitrogen :slight_smile:

Really? I have a list of people that I’d like to assist!

It all depends if your motivation is selfish or altruist. Art 115 Swiss criminal code. English version is not binding, so ask a lawyer first :wink:

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?

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Instead of nitrogen, you could use more readily available nitrous oxide with the mask. Same end result as nitrogen but you’d die laughing and happy.

Or just get into a large bin bag with something hollow pointed in 9mm, suck on it… BOOM! Problem solved.

Technically, yes. But the people who have to clean the mess may not agree.

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.

Do you really think this is a laughing matter?

There are some quite distasteful posts in this thread in my opinion.

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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.

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