Swiss euthanasia doctor acquitted of murder for a second time
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland since the 1940s under certain conditions.
Keystone / Gaetan Bally
A doctor who helped a mentally ill woman take her life has once more been cleared of intentional homicide.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
A Swiss appeals court in canton Basel rejected attempts by prosecutors to overturn a 2019 verdict that had cleared the doctor of murder. The court upheld the earlier conviction for violating laws governing the use of medicaments but reduced the punishment.
The doctor had helped a woman, who was in her sixties and suffering from a mental illness, to take her life.
Prosecutors argued once again that the doctor should have first obtained psychiatric opinions before agreeing to assist the suicide. But the appeals court found this was not necessary given the nature of the mental condition.
Landmark
The verdict is seen as a landmark in the legal assessment of euthanasia, which is lawful in Switzerland under certain conditions. This is because it touches on the critical issue of when a patient is deemed to be able to take the decision to end their life.
The doctor, who founded and runs the Swiss euthanasia association Eternal Life, was ordered to pay a reduced fine for medicaments offences. But the court waived a 15-month suspended prison sentence imposed by the original court case in 2019.
The case could be appealed once again in the federal courts.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
This content was published on
In August last year, the group warned that legal hurdles to euthanasia in other countries were making it increasingly difficult to offer its services to people outside of Switzerland. At the time, some 2,600 EXIT members lived abroad. The organisation asked members if it should stop its services at Swiss borders. But according to the…
Swiss await fallout of German assisted suicide laws
This content was published on
Switzerland is the only country that helps non-residents to die. By far the biggest number of foreigners coming to Switzerland to end their life are people from Germany and the United Kingdom. Both countries have been grappling with their own assisted suicide legislation this year. In September, the British parliament rejected a moveExternal link to…
Swiss doctor avoids prison in assisted suicide case
This content was published on
A doctor from canton Basel-Country in north western Switzerland was acquitted of murder charges for helping a mentally-ill woman commit suicide.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.