Latest news with #Nitschke
India Today
2 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Euthanasia advocate arrested in suicide pod case kills himself, cites trauma
Dr Florian Willet, a leading euthanasia advocate and co-president of The Last Resort, died by assisted suicide in Germany following months of psychological trauma stemming from his arrest in Switzerland, as reported by Sky News. He was was the only person present during the death of a 64-year-old American woman who used the Sarco pod—an assisted suicide device—in a forest cabin in Merishausen, northern Switzerland, in September 2024. The Sarco pod, developed by Exit International and valued at over $1 million, is designed to allow a person to initiate the assisted dying process by pressing a button inside the capsule, Sky News further arrested Willet at the scene and placed him in pre-trial detention for 70 days. Prosecutors alleged that the pod had malfunctioned and claimed the woman suffered injuries consistent with strangulation. Exit International refuted the allegation, saying that the assisted suicide was filmed, and the footage was submitted to authorities. 'There was no foundation for the allegation,' Exit International said in a statement. Dr Willet had described the woman's death as 'peaceful, fast and dignified.'The Sarco pod's inventor, Dr Philip Nitschke, confirmed Willet's death and defended the pod's functionality. 'I was pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person's choosing,' he said. He added that Swiss legal advice confirmed the device's use was within the his release from detention in early December, Willet reportedly became a 'changed man.' According to Dr Nitschke, 'his spirit was broken,' and he 'seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation.'Willet sought psychiatric help in Zurich during Christmas but discharged himself before New Year's Eve. In January, he fell from the third floor of his Zurich apartment. Dr Nitschke said he 'did serious damage' and was later diagnosed with an acute polymorphic disorder triggered by the stress of pre-trial Last Resort said that the arrest had left Willet "broken." The group, affiliated with Exit International, was founded by Willet to support the use of the Sarco inputs from Sky News and BBC
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Who was Dr Florian Willet? Euthanasia activist dies by assisted suicide after traumatic arrest
Dr. Florian Willet, a right-to-die campaigner who was held for using a 'suicide pod' for the first time, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, as per the device's inventor, the UK Independent reported. Dr. Florian Willet, 47, was arrested in 2024 on suspicion of 'inciting and abetting suicide' and 'strong suspicion of the commission of an intentional homicide' in relation to the demise of a 64-year-old woman. In December, Willet was released from detention two months after authorities ruled out the possibility of a deliberate homicide. Dr. Philip Nitschke, the head of Exit International and the man behind the Sarco pod, claimed that Dr. Willet suffered from severe psychological issues. Dr. Nitschke informed the Dutch news agency Volkskrant that Dr. Willet committed suicide last month. Dr. Nitschke further stated that Florian was a different person when he was abruptly and surprisingly freed from pre-trial prison in early December 2024. '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.' Also Read: What is The Detroit Cowboy? Trump promotes Kid Rock's new 'MAGA' restaurant in Nashville after ICE raid The activist's companion Laura told the Dutch media that he had transformed after the arrest. According to her, 'This friendly, positive man had changed into an anxious, suspicious person who no longer trusted even his best friends.' Stressing that Willet lived in his own universe, Laura said that he grew more estranged from his friends. Dr. Willet, the leader of the euthanasia advocacy group The Last Resort, was freed by Schaffhausen authorities in the northern part of the district following the alleged first use of the Sarco suicide capsule, a sealed container that emits gas at the touch of a button. While the officials no longer suspected deliberate homicide, the Swiss prosecutors said they still had a 'strong suspicion of the crime of inciting and abetting suicide.' Dr. Nitschke described the claims that the woman may have been choked as 'absurd,' adding that he saw the woman's death on camera in a wood in the Schaffhausen area close to the German border.
News18
3 days 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
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Suicide pod activist dies by assisted suicide after arrest for woman's death
In a statement following the announcement of his death, suicide pod creator Philip Nitschke claimed Florian Willet had been "broken" by allegations made against him A suicide pod activist credited as playing a key role in bringing the controversial death capsules to Switzerland has died by assisted suicide. Florian Willet, president of euthanasia organisation The Last Resort, was the only person present when a 64-year-old American woman used the Dutch-designed pod last year on September 23. The pod, known as a Sarco, was designed by Philip Nitschke, who followed the process at the time via video call. Following the incident, Willet was arrested and released after 10 weeks in detention. Willet's death in Germany was announced by Exit International, who said he died last month on May 5. Australian-born Nitschke claimed Willet had been affected by the allegations of manslaughter made against him and had recently been recovering from injuries sustained in a fall from his Zurich apartment. He said: 'Florian's spirit was broken. He knew that he did nothing illegal or wrong, but his belief in the rule of law in Switzerland was in tatters.' Nitschke added: '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.' He had help in his suicide from a 'specialized organization' in Cologne, Nitschke told the Volkskrant. Despite the incident and the controversy it caused, Nitschke, who rejected the allegations that the woman in the pod had been strangled, has continued to develop his Sarco pod. He has gone so far as to tell Prospect Magazine he is developing one which can fit two people. Alongside developing a new version of the pod, Nitschke told the publication he wants to introduce a new safety system inside the pod. This system would use AI to screen people to check their mental capacity before they activate the device. He explained: 'When I get my artificial intelligence process working to check mental capacity. The software will say, 'Yes, this person has got mental capacity that allows the power to switch on in the Sarco.'' However, following the death of the American woman, Nitschke has reportedly been advised to stay in the Netherlands by his legal team. For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@ visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Yahoo
4 days 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.
