Italian writer first to die under Tuscany's assisted suicide law
Pieroni, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died at his home on Saturday, May 17th, the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association said on Wednesday.
Pieroni's death came over three months after a landmark right-to-die bill was passed by Tuscany's authorities.
The Italian Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that assisted suicide was allowed for patients 'kept alive by life-support treatments and suffering from an irreversible condition" as long as the condition caused 'physical and psychological suffering' considered 'intolerable".
At the time, the court urged parliament to pass a law to provide a clear legal framework setting out the circumstances in which assisted suicide was possible.
But the invitation went unheeded, with multiple consecutive governments sidestepping the issue.
This means that patients looking to resort to assisted suicide in Italy often wait years before being granted permission by national health authorities.
In February, Tuscany became the first of Italy's 20 regions to set out its own right-to-die rules, streamlining and speeding up the request process.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is strongly opposed to euthanasia and is currently challenging Tuscany's bill in court.
But any court decision on the matter will come too late to affect Pieroni's choice.
Born in 1961, the writer had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2008 and was forced to use a feeding tube for 21 hours a day, the Luca Coscioni Association said in a statement.
Pieroni 'self-administered" a lethal drug in the presence of doctors and his family, it added.
The Luca Coscioni Association has called on other regions in the Catholic-majority country to follow Tuscany's lead.
"Too many people continue to suffer or emigrate to die with dignity," the association said.
"We invite all regions to act to guarantee freedom and respect for people's wishes."
Since the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling, eight people have committed medically assisted suicide in Italy.
The first was Federico Carboni, 44, from the central Marche region, in June 2022.
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Local Italy
2 days ago
- Local Italy
Italian writer first to die under Tuscany's assisted suicide law
Pieroni, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died at his home on Saturday, May 17th, the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association said on Wednesday. Pieroni's death came over three months after a landmark right-to-die bill was passed by Tuscany's authorities. The Italian Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that assisted suicide was allowed for patients 'kept alive by life-support treatments and suffering from an irreversible condition" as long as the condition caused 'physical and psychological suffering' considered 'intolerable". At the time, the court urged parliament to pass a law to provide a clear legal framework setting out the circumstances in which assisted suicide was possible. But the invitation went unheeded, with multiple consecutive governments sidestepping the issue. This means that patients looking to resort to assisted suicide in Italy often wait years before being granted permission by national health authorities. In February, Tuscany became the first of Italy's 20 regions to set out its own right-to-die rules, streamlining and speeding up the request process. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is strongly opposed to euthanasia and is currently challenging Tuscany's bill in court. But any court decision on the matter will come too late to affect Pieroni's choice. Born in 1961, the writer had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2008 and was forced to use a feeding tube for 21 hours a day, the Luca Coscioni Association said in a statement. Pieroni 'self-administered" a lethal drug in the presence of doctors and his family, it added. The Luca Coscioni Association has called on other regions in the Catholic-majority country to follow Tuscany's lead. "Too many people continue to suffer or emigrate to die with dignity," the association said. "We invite all regions to act to guarantee freedom and respect for people's wishes." Since the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling, eight people have committed medically assisted suicide in Italy. The first was Federico Carboni, 44, from the central Marche region, in June 2022.
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