Advocacy groups overseeing the development of a controversial suicide capsule have decided to halt the process of accepting applications to use it. The decision was made as Swiss authorities conduct a criminal investigation into the first reported use of the device, known as the “Sarco.”
The president of The Last Resort, Florian Willet, is currently under pretrial detention in Switzerland in connection with the case. This organization, along with its affiliate Exit International, revealed that Willet and several others were arrested by Swiss police following the demise of a 64-year-old woman from the U.S. Midwest. The woman used the Sarco capsule on September 23 in a forest near the German border.
While Willet remains in custody, the other individuals initially detained have been released. The total number of applicants for the Sarco stood at 371 as of last month. However, applications have been put on hold following the device’s first reported use.
The Sarco capsule, developed by Exit International at a cost exceeding $1 million, enables individuals to self-administer nitrogen gas in a sealed chamber, leading to a peaceful and rapid death by suffocation. Despite claims from the advocacy groups that the process is dignified, there has been no independent verification of these assertions.
Switzerland is renowned for its permissive laws on assisted suicide, permitting the practice as long as it is carried out without external assistance. However, the first use of the Sarco has sparked a debate among lawmakers in the country. Organizations are urging those in need of support or guidance on suicide prevention to contact dedicated hotlines such as the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. or reach out to groups like “Dargebotene Hand” in Switzerland.
