Suicide pod activist Dr Florian Willet takes own life after arrest over ‘murder' of woman who used euthanasia device
Florian Willet, 47, suffered a mental health crisis after he was arrested by Swiss Police last year, according to Philip Nitschke, the inventor of the Sarco suicide capsule.
2
The Sarco assisted suicide capsule
Credit: AFP
2
Florian Willet has taken his own life at 47
Credit: AFP
Willet, from Germany, was the director of Last Resort, the Swiss suicide organisation which operated the Sarco pods.
He was also a prominent right-to-die activist.
The director was investigated for aiding and abetting suicide.
As part of the probe, prosecutors investigated whether he strangled the woman, but that was ruled out.
Willet was released in December after being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days.
Nitschke, who also directs pro-assisted dying group Exit International, said: 'Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence. In its place was a man who seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation."
He revealed that his colleague Willet sought help and went into hospital twice before his death on May 5.
Willet reportedly died in Germany with the help of a specialist organisation, though it is not known exactly how he died.
Nitschke continued: 'To describe Florian is to talk of a man who was thoughtful, caring, funny, and friendly. He was an easy person to be around.
'But most of all, Florian was kind. Florian was also passionate about a person's right to choose when to die.'
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Fugitive Nicholas Rossi GUILTY of rape in US after faking own death and fleeing to Scotland
BEAST FACES JUSTICE Fugitive Nicholas Rossi GUILTY of rape in US after faking own death and fleeing to Scotland Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FUGITIVE Nicholas Rossi has been found guilty of rape in the US after faking his own death and fleeing to Scotland. The 38-year-old denied all the charges at the rape trial in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Nicholas Rossi was found guilty of rape in the US during a court showdown Credit: AP A jury found Rossi guilty of a 2008 rape after a three-day trial in which his accuser and her parents took the stand. The jurors of four men and four women took more than eight hours to reach their verdict. The verdict came after Rossi declined to testify on his own behalf. The court showdown happened after Rossi - who claimed to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight - was extradited from the UK in January last year. Rossi showed no emotion as the verdict was read out. He will be sentenced in the case on October 20 and is set to stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Scottish Sun. is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheScottishSun.
Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
Police chief's K-9 dog mauls his 3-year-old daughter to death
A police chief's K-9 dog killed his young daughter in the back yard of their home while he was away. The German Shepherd named Draco was in a kennel and 'not actively attacking' when deputies responded to a call for a child being assaulted by a dog at the home in Burlington, Colorado, according to the Kit Carson County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Travis Belden and a deputy found the three-year-old girl unresponsive, and her mother, in the yard on Monday. The toddler was rushed to Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital. 'Despite best efforts by medical staff the child was eventually declared deceased,' stated the sheriff's office. 'This is a very tragic situation, affecting this community as a whole.' Burlington police Chief Nate Hill was keeping Draco at his home after Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office ended its K-9 program and donated him to the city's force. 'We our deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred within the city limits of Burlington, CO,' stated the Burlington Police Department. 'Our hearts go out to Chief Nate Hill, his wife and family for the loss of their little girl, who was victim of a dog attack.' Draco was taken to the Burlington Dog Pound and 'humanely euthanized', according to the Kit Carson sheriff's office. He had served as a narcotics detection dog. More Trending 'The dog was not trained in any kind of bite work to include protection or apprehension,' said the Kit Carson sheriff's office. Draco was not in service at the time of the attack. The incident is under investigation. The police department also said it was 'a tragic accident and not a criminal matter'. A Facebook post by the Cheyenne sheriff's office indicated that Draco was deployed in a traffic stop on June 19 'to conduct a free air sniff, resulting in a positive alert on the vehicle indicative of the presence of controlled substances'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman caught shoving 400 Jellycats down her trousers fined £120 MORE: Quadbike rider flips over after ramming police car in Liverpool MORE: Fish thieving gull swooping on seaside chippy 'kicked to death' by angry customer
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Two schoolgirls, 15, ‘sexually assaulted' near field in broad daylight attack as man, 39, is arrested
The suspect has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a controlled drug ATTACK PROBE Two schoolgirls, 15, 'sexually assaulted' near field in broad daylight attack as man, 39, is arrested Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN has been arrested after two teenagers were sexually assaulted on a path close to a field. The two 15-year-old schoolgirls were walking on the path close to the green space in Adderley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, at around 12.35pm yesterday when a man approached them, police said. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up He then sexually assaulted both of them, Staffordshire Police said. Both girls walked away after the attack and told someone in the area about what happened to them. Now, cops have arrested a 39-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault on a female and possessing a controlled drug of Class B - cannabis. Police had previously established that the suspect was known to the victims, after carrying out enquiries locally. Officers added that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation. The suspect currently remains in custody for questioning. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
