If suicide is legal then why do the police take action to prevent it?

[Placo]

I believe it is the only case where an action that is legal by law is actively prevented by the police, obviously this varies from country to country but in the Western world suicide is legal, yet the police intervenes to stop the person as if he were committing a crime, I have never understood this honestly.

Maybe because it is taken for granted that a suicidal person can also harm others? For maintaining public peace?

 

[N3UR0T1C]

Most countries have civil codes when it comes to suicide/mental health issues. Most of those give Police the power to intervene in a suicide and transport someone to a hospital for evaluation.

 

[Darkover]

they have criminalized suicide via alternative means via kidnapping forced imprisonment and forced drugging
basically turned us all into a bunch of fucking slaves to the system that needs to be destroyed

 

[waterworks]

Depending on where you live, I'll speak from a US perspective, suicide is legal in that the act itself does not constitute a crime. But there are laws based on what is understood to be human rights that allow police officers to prevent or intervene the act of a suicide. Without overcomplicating things, suicidal people are considered mentally ill or not in the right state of mind. Like you're under the influence of wrong thinking. In this case, you are deemed unfit to make decisions about your wellbeing and thus it is up to the state or government to ensure your safety.

Essentially, they claim to be acting for your safety in your place since you've lost your mind.

Edit: Also, I think this is the narrative behind why most western countries cannot fathom things like physician assisted suicide. Because according to archaic tradition, no sane person can ever want to end their life. So if you're suicidal, then you have a mental illness that is messing with your rational mind, so it is the "morally" right thing to do to save you from yourself, and keep you from hurting yourself until you come back to your sense... or say you won't do it. Afterall... what morally upright person can sit and watch someone who clearly momentarily has the iq of a toddler and is diseased from head to toe, destroy themselves... no no no.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I suppose because they aren't qualified to assess someone's state of mind. Seeing as it's probably possible to commit suicide impulsively/ while in some sort of psychotic state- they probably err on the side of caution and cart the person off to be assessed.

It's after that that would interest me. If they can't find a psychiatric problem- do they really have the grounds to stop you then?

Still- people like to blame too. Families especially- why didn't someone do more to stop my loved one doing it? Kind of weird how they don't include themselves in that. But yeah- I don't think they'd be thrilled if they found out that police just stood back and let someone jump.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

Police have to do a lot of things bc it's their job by law. I think that if someone does not prevent suicide they can be sued for not intervening. Depending on the law of the country.

In my opinion, nobody should intervene in a suicide attempt bc the one who commits most likely has very thoroughly thought this through and has their reasons for making this choice to be relieved.

 

[Ash]

In the UK, or at least in England and Wales, the role of the police is to protect life and property. As I said on another thread earlier today, in the moment, without knowing any of the context or the nuances and not having the time or maybe the ability or even the capability to make that life/death decision, they'll act to attempt to save the life in the short term and leave it to other bodies to determine the long term outcome.

If we're found, it's either by chance, bad planning or last minute panic on our behalf. If it's the former, then we couldn't have done anything to change that. If it's either of the latter, it's on us. We need to stop blaming other people and start focusing on clear, rational plans - but first being absolutely certain that this is something we definitely want to do. We need to take responsibility and stop taking it out on people who are biologically programmed to want to live. By giving up on that, we're the anomalies, not them.

 

[DoubleUp8]

Speaking for the U.S. state Nevada suicide actually is a crime and if you are suicidal the police have the option of charging you with attempted suicide and taking you to jail or they can elect not to charge you and take you to psych hospital instead. They almost always choose the 2nd option but make sure you clearly understand that the 1st option is available and will be used if you attempt to get violent with police, paramedics, doctors, nurses, or any state or hospital employees.
I should have said govt employees because cops often are county or municipal government employees. Not always state

 

[Placo]

Speaking for the U.S. state Nevada suicide actually is a crime and if you are suicidal the police have the option of charging you with attempted suicide and taking you to jail or they can elect not to charge you and take you to psych hospital instead. They almost always choose the 2nd option but make sure you clearly understand that the 1st option is available and will be used if you attempt to get violent with police, paramedics, doctors, nurses, or any state or hospital employees.
I should have said govt employees because cops often are county or municipal government employees. Not always state

And if someone succeeds in suicide, how does the law proceed? Property confiscation?

 

[DoubleUp8]

They can't really do much unless someone else is involved

And if someone succeeds in suicide, how does the law proceed? Property confiscation?

There have been cases where they arrested drug suppliers after the fact. Other than that just list "suicide" as manner of death on their paperwork.

 

[Placo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_legislation

@DoubleUp8 it says here that it is legal in all US states.

 

[UKscotty]

Because suicide is not rational so the state has an obligation to intervene and try and help people get well.

The problem is there is no real help and suicide prevention schemes have been stripped bare.

 

[ThisGameIsOverrated]

Good question really I think it's just technically legal because it'd seem messed up to throw suicidal people in actual prison but prisons rebranded as "psychiatric wards" are fine

 

[Cress]

Suicide is effectively illegal And thus they have the right to interfere with your bodily autonomy deemed by the law. Obviously most countries and states Won't prosecute attempted suicide. It would greatly impede trying to treat people also I think even pro lifers realize that prosecuting attempted suicide is incredibly messed up. When I was a small child I forget where I heard it from but I was under the impression that suicide was illegal And that I would be taken to jail or prosecuted if I failed an attempt.

Ironically enough even at that age I realized they would have a hard time prosecuting a corpse in most cases

 

[SilentSadness]

The majority of people still see suicide as a selfish crime, they just think suicidal people are forced to do it by a terrible illness. That's why suicidal people are "helped" in "mental hospitals" where they're locked up for reformation. Sadly, it was never about changing the system, just framing it differently.

 

[Placo]

I read that for a certain period in England there was the death penalty for attempted suicide.

I remember also that I read some time ago that in the Middle Ages they symbolically hung the bodies of suicides as well as denying them a dignified burial.