Sarco suicide pod suspect remanded in Swiss custody

Detention requested for one person after Sarco operation in Schaffhausen Keystone-SDA

A person arrested on suspicion of the illegal use of a Sarco suicide pod in Switzerland has been remanded in custody. All other people arrested by police earlier this week have been released, states the public prosecutor’s office of canton Schaffhausen.

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Schaffhausen public prosecutor, Peter Sticher, confirmed the request for pre-trial detention to Keystone-SDA on Thursday. He did not provide any further details, such as the number of people arrested. The competent court has up to 48 hours to process the application.

+ Why liberal Switzerland opposes the Sarco suicide pod

The public prosecutor’s office initiated criminal proceedings against those arrested for inciting or aiding and abetting suicide.

Circles within the organisation behind Sarco, ‘The Last Resort’, reported this week that four people had been arrested. In addition to co-president Florian Willet, two lawyers and a Dutch photographer are said to have been arrested.

On Monday, Sticher was informed by a lawyer that the suicide capsule had been used in a forest near Merishausen. The emergency services were immediately deployed, seized the capsule and took the deceased to Zurich for an autopsy.

American woman, 64, died

According to the euthanasia organisation ‘The Last Resort’, a 64-year-old American woman took her own life in the capsule. She had been suffering from the consequences of an immune deficiency for many years. Sarco worked as planned and brought the woman a drug-free death.

The Last Resort announced in the summer that the death capsule would be used in Switzerland this year. The public prosecutor’s offices of several cantons then announced that they would initiate proceedings if the capsule was used in their cantons – including Schaffhausen.

At exactly the same time as Sarco was first used in the Merishausen forest, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said during question time in parliament that the suicide capsule was not legally compliant.

Suicidal thoughts? You can find help here.

Are you having suicidal thoughts or do you know someone who needs support? Then contact the Dargebotene Hand (offered hand) in Switzerland, telephone number 143. You can find email and chat contacts at www.143.ch (in EnglishExternal linkExternal link). The service is anonymous and free of charge. For children and young people, Pro Juventute operates the telephone number 147. They can be contacted by text message, chat and email at www.147.chExternal linkExternal link (German). Here is further information and helplines in SwitzerlandExternal linkExternal link concerning suicide.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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