First person in the world dies in 'suicide capsule' in Switzerland.

[Talvikki]

The police of the canton where the suicide took place confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of "several individuals."

https://www.shpol.ch/CMS/Webseite/Schaffhauser-Polizei-15476126-DE.html


They are suspected of "encouraging and helping with suicide." Fiona Stewart from The Last Resort told the Dutch newspaper *NRC* that, besides the photographer, it involves her co-director and "two other team members."

Stewart and her husband, doctor and Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke, were with the American woman until a few hours before she pressed the button. They watched the suicide through a video link, following their lawyers' advice to avoid being charged with "conspiracy." They believed they had followed all Swiss laws. There was no profit involved (they only charged for the nitrogen), the button was important to show it was the woman's choice, and she had recorded a spoken statement before her death. According to Stewart, the woman had several illnesses "linked to a severely weakened immune system."

The Dutch Cooperative Last Will, which was the first to recommend sodium azide and sodium nitrite to its members for a humane death in 2017, is closely following the developments in Switzerland. They are in regular contact with Nitschke, says chairman Rob van Doorn, and if the Swiss case ends without issues, they plan to try and introduce the Sarco in the Netherlands in the future.

 

[sadlittleman32]

I originally wanted a PS5 for Xmas but I'd much rather have this instead!!

 

[opheliaoveragain]

I want this. And the get transferred to a mushroom coffin to become compost. Perfection.

Agreed. I doubt they'll ever ok it purely for mental illness and that shit hurts.

The police of the canton where the suicide took place confirmed on Tuesday the arrest of "several individuals."

https://www.shpol.ch/CMS/Webseite/Schaffhauser-Polizei-15476126-DE.html


They are suspected of "encouraging and helping with suicide." Fiona Stewart from The Last Resort told the Dutch newspaper *NRC* that, besides the photographer, it involves her co-director and "two other team members."

Stewart and her husband, doctor and Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke, were with the American woman until a few hours before she pressed the button. They watched the suicide through a video link, following their lawyers' advice to avoid being charged with "conspiracy." They believed they had followed all Swiss laws. There was no profit involved (they only charged for the nitrogen), the button was important to show it was the woman's choice, and she had recorded a spoken statement before her death. According to Stewart, the woman had several illnesses "linked to a severely weakened immune system."

The Dutch Cooperative Last Will, which was the first to recommend sodium azide and sodium nitrite to its members for a humane death in 2017, is closely following the developments in Switzerland. They are in regular contact with Nitschke, says chairman Rob van Doorn, and if the Swiss case ends without issues, they plan to try and introduce the Sarco in the Netherlands in the future.

Thank you for making this thread. It's very interesting. I wonder if any of the legal bits will make it to YouTube or elsewhere. Doubtful bc that site hates shit about suicide. Even finding all the MAID/USA version of MAID videos is a pain and takes a few different key word combos.

 

[TransfemCutter]

It makes me beyond happy to actually see the ideal of the sarco coming to life. Nitschke is a legend and he has all my respect. Him alongside the woman who passed, Willet and the photographer.

 

[uniqueusername4]

I wonder how much nitrogen is needed and if there is an adaptor needed to connect to the pod? Very interesting, 3D printing will eventually be accessible to a lot of people similar to regular printers or computers. I am not sure a "household 3D printer" will have the capabilities of doing something this big but either way it is fascinating that this is the direction things are going.

 

[MBG]

First person in the world dies in 'suicide capsule' in Switzerland.

A 64-year-old woman passed away in Switzerland on Monday using a specially designed 'suicide capsule' filled with nitrogen gas. This was the first time a person died in such a capsule. The so-called Sarco, according to its creators, provides a "quick, peaceful, and reliable death" without the need for a doctor or medication. The suicide capsule was developed and built in the Netherlands, reports Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant.

The woman, an American who had traveled to Switzerland specifically for this purpose, initiated the dying process herself while lying in the capsule — a chamber the size of a coffin — with the press of a button. The Sarco then filled with nitrogen gas, and within a minute, the oxygen level dropped to nearly zero.


Dr Death

The inventor, Philip Nitschke (77), an Australian doctor and physicist who has lived in the Netherlands for ten years and is also known as "Dr. Death," worked for twelve years on developing the capsule, according to *De Volkskrant*. In 1996, he became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal lethal injection to a patient. His Sarco is a controversial invention.

The capsule was placed in a remote forest location near the Swiss city of Schaffhausen for the occasion, reports say. Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world where assisted suicide is permitted under certain conditions. Every year, thousands of people, mostly from abroad, take advantage of this option.

Nitschke reportedly monitored the Swiss woman's dying process remotely via oxygen and heart rate monitors, as well as a camera inside the capsule. According to him, the euthanasia went smoothly. The woman is said to have paid only 18 Swiss francs (about 19 euros) for the process, which is the exact cost of the nitrogen gas used.


Arrest

After the woman passed away, the organization overseeing the death informed the Swiss police. According to *De Volkskrant*, Florian Willet, the director of the Swiss organization *The Last Resort*, may have been arrested as he was present during the woman's assisted suicide.

The Schaffhausen police also reportedly arrested a *Volkskrant* photographer who had been closely following the event and attempted to take photos. The reason for this arrest is unclear. The newspaper lost contact with the photographer for several hours. By Monday evening, the local police informed the paper that the photographer was being held at the police station but provided no further explanation regarding the possible arrest, as *De Volkskrant* reported. On Tuesday morning, the Swiss police only confirmed that an "operation" had taken place near Schaffhausen.

Now if we could only get this in America, especially in Vermont that does not discriminate against non-residents.

 

[Kta1994]

She got to look out on a forest as she passed. How beautiful. Brave woman too I think. If she truly was the first to use it. I know they assured everyone it worked but like- that must have been theoretical until they put a living being in there.

I wonder why they arrested people. Surely there must have been paperwork to support everything.

Im so jealous

 

[canijo]

... 3D printing will eventually be accessible to a lot of people similar to regular printers or computers. I am not sure a "household 3D printer" will have the capabilities of doing something this big but either way it is fascinating that this is the direction things are going.

Maybe not a full-pod design. But a base framing for a mask-like object could probably be done. Making it air-tight would be the problem, but im sure this could be solved with some thought by a savvy material engineer.

I was reading some news about this, and some quotes are just outright ridiculous. From NY Post for example:

"There is no reliable information about the method of killing," Sticher told the outlet. "[It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process."

Like WTF do you think they have a remote or something?? They have spent 1 MILLION dollars to develop the capsule, having in mind the importance of the user being the one pushing the button. And you think is "unclear"?

"the corresponding use of nitrogen is not compatible with the article on purpose in the chemicals law."

No really? The Law did not take into account uses of chemicals for suicide? How surprising! Addressing that issue just leads to a blocked ammendment as there are no political entities in almost any country brave enough to open an euthanasia debate.

So "nobody" is in favor of euthanasia, but at the same time, nobody wants to offer "at least" any alternatives for most of the cases that leads to suicide. It's a limbo on the land of political correctness.

Where there's a will, there's a way. Clearly most governments don't have a will to make this happen, so they are not interested in allowing it in any way.

I would not be surprised if this ends up with all of the arrested in jail.

 

[ladylazarus4]

How can one get access to this method, going forward?

Agreed. I doubt they'll ever ok it purely for mental illness and that shit hurts.

The plan is for the 3d printer plans to be released in the complete peaceful pill handbook (unfortunately you do need photo ID but in theory that would be decently easy to get around). They have stated they will not be facilitating it or shipping the sarco anywhere. It will only work in a commercial, large scale printer and will be quite expensive for that reason.
And so this opens it up for anyone to use- since there's no controlled substance, there's no need for pegasos/dignitas/etc facilitating- anyone, anywhere (with access to a printer and nitrogen) could use it.

 

[Travelr]

it does not sound like anyone will be having access anytime soon

 

[WhiteRabbit]

I'm not against assisted suicide, but something about the phase suicide capsule sounds so dystopian to me. It just feels really bleak.

 

[helloleaf]

I hope she found peace and relieved from her suffering

 

[Passersby]

This has been a long time coming. It's nice to see it finally being used. She was very lucky to have gotten accepted to use it and be able to make this work. It said how quickly she pressed the button once she was inside. No one should have been arrested and it should be opened up as an option for anyone worldwide to come there and end it.

 

[uglyugly]

I think that would be the way to go.

 

[WoodyOak]

The police were able to arrest them because, according to Swiss Health Minister, the sarco does not comply with the existing legislation.

This week Switzerland's Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, said the way Sarco functions — that is, by filling the pod with poisonous nitrogen gas — does not comply with the existing legislation.

The main reason is that federal law requires that all products in Switzerland must be safe, and not endanger the health or life of users.

Sarco, which literally causes death, does not meet this condition, Baume-Schneider said.

https://www.thelocal.ch/20240924/br...rrests-after-use-of-controversial-suicide-pod

Strange that Switzerland`s Health Minister would say Nitrogen is a poisonous gas. It`s an `inert` gas which means it has little or no reactivity with other substances. They use it in Indy car/Formula 1/NASCAR tires. It just displaces oxygen.

 

[lifeisactualtorture]

First person in the world dies in 'suicide capsule' in Switzerland.

A 64-year-old woman passed away in Switzerland on Monday using a specially designed 'suicide capsule' filled with nitrogen gas. This was the first time a person died in such a capsule. The so-called Sarco, according to its creators, provides a "quick, peaceful, and reliable death" without the need for a doctor or medication. The suicide capsule was developed and built in the Netherlands, reports Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant.

The woman, an American who had traveled to Switzerland specifically for this purpose, initiated the dying process herself while lying in the capsule — a chamber the size of a coffin — with the press of a button. The Sarco then filled with nitrogen gas, and within a minute, the oxygen level dropped to nearly zero.


Dr Death

The inventor, Philip Nitschke (77), an Australian doctor and physicist who has lived in the Netherlands for ten years and is also known as "Dr. Death," worked for twelve years on developing the capsule, according to *De Volkskrant*. In 1996, he became the first doctor in the world to administer a legal lethal injection to a patient. His Sarco is a controversial invention.

The capsule was placed in a remote forest location near the Swiss city of Schaffhausen for the occasion, reports say. Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world where assisted suicide is permitted under certain conditions. Every year, thousands of people, mostly from abroad, take advantage of this option.

Nitschke reportedly monitored the Swiss woman's dying process remotely via oxygen and heart rate monitors, as well as a camera inside the capsule. According to him, the euthanasia went smoothly. The woman is said to have paid only 18 Swiss francs (about 19 euros) for the process, which is the exact cost of the nitrogen gas used.


Arrest

After the woman passed away, the organization overseeing the death informed the Swiss police. According to *De Volkskrant*, Florian Willet, the director of the Swiss organization *The Last Resort*, may have been arrested as he was present during the woman's assisted suicide.

The Schaffhausen police also reportedly arrested a *Volkskrant* photographer who had been closely following the event and attempted to take photos. The reason for this arrest is unclear. The newspaper lost contact with the photographer for several hours. By Monday evening, the local police informed the paper that the photographer was being held at the police station but provided no further explanation regarding the possible arrest, as *De Volkskrant* reported. On Tuesday morning, the Swiss police only confirmed that an "operation" had taken place near Schaffhausen.

I would totally travel and pay whatever for this!!! I find this to be wonderful news! This to me is the only hope I have seen!!

 

[Kaycee]

I really hope the people arrested will be let go soon. This is such a useful invention and could help a lot of people to CTB safely, in a way that doesn't bother other people or harm anyone else. I think about getting enough SNO2 and going to a hotel room for a few days, but the Sarco sounds much better.

 

[hoodymend]

Something like this will never be attainable to us