The vice-president of Exit attacked by legal system for “encouraging suicide”

Publié le 9 Dec, 2016

Pierre Beck, Vice-President of Exit*[1] has been subject to a two-pronged attack by the legal system. Initially accused for “failing to provide assistance”, today Beck faces an additional charge for “encouraging suicide”.

 

These legal proceedings have been initiated by two brothers opposed to the suicide of their elder brother. They initially started legal proceedings to stop the Exit association from giving their brother, who was not ill, the lethal potion allowing him to commit suicide (see Genève : deux frères attaquent Exit en justice – Geneva: two brothers initiate legal proceedings against Exit). In order to consider the facts, the Court suspended the assisted suicide but the octogenarian finally took his own life (see Suisse : octogenarian défendu par ses frères se suicide – Switzerland: octogenerian defended by his brothers, takes his own life).

 

The deceased man’s two brothers believe that an interview given by the Vice-President of Exit to a local newspaper encouraged their brother to commit suicide. In this interview, Pierre Beck commented on the temporary ban placed on Exit with regard to issuing the fatal potion to the octogenarian: “I am certain that he will commit suicide within the next few days if the legal system does not intervene more quickly (see Hausse du nombre de suicides assistés en Suisse – increase in the number of assisted suicides in Switzerland: “Le véritable danger serait d’installer une culture allant dans ce sens” – “It would be incredibly dangerous to nurture a culture heading in this direction”).

 

[1] An “association that gives people the right to die”.

Source : Le Courrier (Maria Pineiro) 21/11/2016

Photo : Pixabay, DR.

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