Advocacy groups in Switzerland responsible for the controversial suicide capsule known as the Sarco have announced the suspension of new applications for its use. This decision follows an investigation into the death of the first person to use the device, a 64-year-old woman from the United States, who died on September 23 in the Schaffhausen region.
The Switzerland-based organization The Last Resort, led by Florian Willet, was at the center of the incident. According to a report by the Associated Press, Willet has been held in pretrial detention, along with several other individuals, as part of the investigation.
Switzerland: The first use of the Sarco capsule
The woman, who was suffering from severe immune compromise, became the first person to use the Sarco pod, a device designed to facilitate assisted suicide. She used the capsule in a forested area in northern Switzerland. On the same day, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider informed Parliament that the use of the Sarco would not be considered legal in the country.
The Sarco capsule is a 3D-printed device developed by Exit International, an organization based in the Netherlands and led by Dr. Philip Nitschke. The pod allows an individual to end their life by pressing a button inside the capsule, which releases nitrogen gas from a tank beneath the chamber. The gas causes the person to lose consciousness and die from suffocation within minutes. The device reportedly cost over $1 million to develop and had garnered significant attention for its high-tech, autonomous approach to assisted suicide.
Suspension of applications
According to advocacy groups, as of September 23, 371 people were in the process of applying for the Sarco capsule in Switzerland. However, these applications have been suspended in light of the first death and the subsequent legal scrutiny.
Exit International stated that Florian Willet was the only person present at the time of the woman’s death. The suspension of applications comes as Swiss authorities continue their probe into the incident, which has sparked debate over the legality and ethical implications of using such technology for assisted suicide.
Legal and ethical concerns
The use of the Sarco capsule has raised legal questions, especially in Switzerland, a country known for its permissive stance on assisted suicide. Despite its leniency in such cases, the Swiss government has yet to recognize the Sarco as a legal method. The incident has reignited discussions on the regulation and oversight of assisted suicide technologies. As the investigation unfolds, the future of the Sarco pod in Switzerland—and potentially other countries—remains uncertain.