Latest news with #LastResort
News18
10 hours ago
- Health
- News18
‘Suicide Pod' Activist Takes Own Life Months After Arrest Over Woman's Death In Euthanasia Device
Dr Florian Willet, director of Swiss suicide organisation Last Resort, died by assisted suicide after being investigated for the death of a woman using the Sarco suicide pod. Dr Florian Willet, a prominent right-to-die activist and director of the Swiss suicide organisation Last Resort, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, months after being investigated for the death of a woman who became the first person to use the Sarco suicide pod. Willet, 47, was arrested in September 2024 by Swiss authorities after a 64-year-old American woman with an immune disease died inside the nitrogen-filled capsule in a secluded forest near Merishausen, Switzerland, The Sun reported. Designed by euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke, the Sarco pod had long stirred ethical and legal debates. The woman's death marked its first real-world use — and triggered a criminal investigation. Although suicide is legal in Switzerland under strict conditions, the use of the pod had never been officially sanctioned. Prosecutors raised suspicions of 'intentional homicide" after alleged strangulation marks were found on the woman's neck. This led to Willet being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days — the only person among several initially detained, including two lawyers and a journalist, to remain in custody. The allegations deeply affected Willet's mental health, according to Nitschke, founder of Exit International and inventor of the Sarco pod. In a statement following Willet's death, Nitschke recalled how his colleague emerged from custody a changed man. 'Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence," he said. 'In its place was a man who seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation." Willet, a German national, was reportedly admitted to psychiatric care twice after his release in December 2024. Nitschke said he developed 'an acute polymorphic psychotic disorder," which psychiatrists linked to the intense psychological stress of the criminal probe. In early 2025, Willet also suffered severe injuries from a fall from the third floor of his Zurich residence. On May 5, Willet reportedly ended his life with the assistance of a specialized organisation in Cologne, Germany. Nitschke confirmed the death and praised Willet as a thoughtful, kind, and passionate advocate for the right to choose when and how to die. 'In the final months of his life, Florian shouldered more than any man should," he said. Before his death, Willet had maintained that the woman's death in the pod was 'peaceful, fast, and dignified." He notified authorities immediately after it occurred. Supporters of the pod claimed that the marks resembling strangulation could have been caused by the woman's medical condition — skull base osteomyelitis — rather than any foul play. Willet's death draws uncomfortable parallels to the weight of public and legal scrutiny surrounding assisted dying. It also raises serious questions about how society treats individuals advocating for controversial medical technologies. A committed campaigner since his youth, Willet once said he had thought about the concept of suicide from the age of five and accepted his father's death by suicide at 14. His final act, much like the work he dedicated his life to, reignites the debate over autonomy, ethics, and the legal challenges surrounding assisted dying in Europe and beyond. First Published: June 03, 2025, 14:55 IST
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Suicide pod activist Dr Florian Willet takes own life after arrest over ‘murder' of woman who used euthanasia device
A SUICIDE pod activist has taken his own life after being interrogated over the murder of a woman who died in one of the euthanasia devices. 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
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Suicide pod activist Dr Florian Willet takes own life after arrest over ‘murder' of woman who used euthanasia device
A SUICIDE pod activist has taken his own life after being interrogated over the murder of a woman who died in one of the euthanasia devices. 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 2 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.' . YOU'RE NOT ALONE EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Suicide pod activist Dr Florian Willet takes own life after arrest over ‘murder' of woman who used euthanasia device
A SUICIDE pod activist has taken his own life after being interrogated over the murder of a woman who died in one of the euthanasia devices. 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. Most read in The US Sun 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 YOU'RE NOT ALONE EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, Heads Together, Mind, Papyrus, Samaritans,
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Suicide pod activist takes his own life aged 47 after ‘trauma' of arrest
A right-to-die activist questioned for murder after the death of a woman using a suicide pod has died by assisted suicide. Florian Willet suffered a mental health crisis after he was arrested by Swiss police in September last year, said Philip Nitschke, the inventor of the Sarco suicide capsule. Mr Willet was the director of Last Resort, the Swiss suicide organisation, which was set up to facilitate the use of the Sarco. The 47-year-old German was investigated for aiding and abetting suicide. Prosecutors also investigated whether he had strangled the woman, but that was ruled out before he was released in December after 70 days of pre-trial detention. '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,' said Mr Nitschke, the director of Exit International, the pro euthanasia group. The Australian former physician, who is called 'Doctor Death' by his critics, said Mr Willet sought help and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital twice before his death on May 5. Mr Nitschke told the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant that Mr Willet had died in Germany with the help of an unnamed specialised organisation. It is not known how he died. 'To describe Florian is to talk of a man who was thoughtful, caring, funny, and friendly. He was an easy person to be around,' said Mr Nitschke, who lives in the Netherlands. 'But most of all, Florian was kind. Florian was also passionate about a person's right to choose when to die.' Suicide is legal under certain conditions in Switzerland, but the pod had never been used before and there were warnings it would be illegal. Mr Willet was the only person present when a 64-year-old American woman, who has not been named, pressed a button to fill the Sarco pod with nitrogen gas. The woman had suffered from an immune disease. He informed the authorities after her death in a forest in the canton of Schaffhausen but was arrested, along with several others, including a newspaper photographer. They were later released but Mr Willet, a former media spokesman for euthanasia clinic Dignitas, continued to be detained. He had described the first death in the controversial Sarco pod as 'peaceful, fast and dignified'. The 3D-printable capsule cost about £550,000 to research and develop in the Netherlands over 12 years. Last Resort has said that future reusable pods could cost about £12,600. 'By the age of five I took my own dying by suicide into consideration,' Mr Willet said in an interview before his arrest. He revealed his father had died by suicide when he was 14 and claimed he was 'completely fine with it.' He added: 'I was extremely sad because I loved my father. But, I understood immediately my father wanted to do this because he was a rational person, which means that expecting him to remain alive just because I need a father would mean extending his suffering.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
