Latest news with #Willet
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
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Suicide Pod Advocate Dies By Suicide Amid Ongoing Legal Investigation
Dr. Florian Willet, a euthanasia activist, has died by suicide in Germany. Willet was arrested in September 2024, facing a 70-day detention amid a legal investigation. His mental health deteriorated post-arrest, leading to significant psychological trauma. Dr Florian Willet, 47, a German euthanasia activist and head of the Swiss right-to-die organisation The Last Resort, has died by suicide, according to BBC. His death follows a prolonged legal investigation into the assisted death of a 64-year-old American woman who utilised a "Sarco" euthanasia pod in Switzerland. Willet was arrested in September 2024 and detained for 70 days on suspicion of inciting and assisting suicide. Although allegations of strangulation were dismissed, the investigation continued, deeply affecting Willet's mental health. The Sarco pod, designed to induce a peaceful death through nitrogen gas inhalation, remains under scrutiny, and its use has been suspended pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. The pod's inventor, Philip Nitschke, told BBC News that Dr Willet died by assisted suicide in Germany. In a separate statement, Mr Nitschke said Dr Willet had suffered psychological trauma following his arrest and detention in connection with the Switzerland death. The Sarco pod "In the final months of his life, Dr Florian Willet shouldered more than any man should," he said. The Last Resort - an assisted dying organisation founded by Dr Willet to facilitate the use of the pod - said the arrest had left him "broken". The activist was held in pre-trial detention for 70 days while police investigated whether he had intentionally killed the woman - an allegation he was not charged with. Prior to his death on 5 May, Dr Willet fell from a third-floor window, the group said, leaving him requiring surgery and needing to be "cared for by a full psychiatric team".
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Euthanasia activist arrested over 'suicide pod' dies
A pro-euthanasia activist who was arrested following the death of a woman using the world's first so-called suicide pod has died. Dr Florian Willet, 47, was reportedly the only other person present when a 64-year-old American woman took her own life using the device in a forest in Switzerland last September. The pod's inventor Philip Nitschke told BBC News that Dr Willet died by assisted suicide in Germany. In a separate statement, Mr Nitschke said Dr Willet had suffered psychological trauma following his arrest and detention in connection with the Switzerland death. If you are experiencing any of the issues mentioned in this story you can visit BBC Action Line for a list of websites and helplines that can offer direct help at any time. "In the final months of his life, Dr Florian Willet shouldered more than any man should," he said. The Last Resort - an assisted dying organisation founded by Dr Willet to facilitate the use of the pod - said the arrest had left him "broken". The activist was held in pre-trial detention for 70 days while police investigated whether he had intentionally killed the woman - an allegation he was not charged with. Prior to his death on 5 May, Dr Willet fell from a third-floor window, the group said, leaving him requiring surgery and needing to be "cared for by a full psychiatric team". While assisted dying is legally protected in some circumstances in Switzerland, it is strictly regulated, and the pod has encountered opposition. Advocates say the device - manufactured by Sarco - provides an assisted dying option which is not reliant on drugs or doctors and expands potential access. Critics fear the device's modern design glamorises suicide, and that the fact that it can be operated without medical oversight is concerning. Assisted dying is illegal in the UK and in most other European countries, but thousands have travelled to Switzerland over the years to end their own lives. BBC News has contacted the Swiss prosecutor's office for comment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
He Helped a Woman Die in a 'Suicide Pod' — Now the Controversial Advocate Has Died by Suicide Himself
Florian Willet was arrested after a 64-year-old American woman died using the 3D-printed Sarco suicide pod in Switzerland Prosecutors briefly suspected Willet of strangulation, but the allegation was later dropped and he was released without charges Willet died by assisted suicide in May 2025 following months of legal scrutiny and reported psychological trauma from the caseMonths after an American woman's family sued over her controversial death inside a 3D-printed "suicide pod," the Swiss euthanasia activist who helped make it possible has taken his own life. Florian Willet, the 47-year-old president of Swiss right-to-die organization The Last Resort, died on May 5 in Cologne, Germany with the help of a specialized organization, according to The Times UK, SwissInfo and The New York Post. Willet's death comes months after he was arrested and held in pre-trial detention for 70 days in connection with the controversial suicide of a 64-year-old American woman in Switzerland, according to the outlets. The woman, whose name has not been released, died in a remote forest cabin in Merishausen after entering the "Sarco pod" — a sleek-futuristic nitrogen filled capsule that had been promoted by Willet's organization as a "peaceful" way to die. The woman's family later filed a lawsuit against Willet and his organization, questioning the circumstances surrounding her death and the legal and ethical oversight — or lack thereof — in her use of the pod, per the outlets. Swiss prosecutors eventually declined to press international homicide charges, but initially accused Willet of assisting in the woman's suicide without proper authorization and subjected him to months of investigation and public scrutiny, the outlets reported. They initially suspected Willet of intentional homicide after discovering marks on the woman's neck, which led to his arrest, per the outlets. However, the strangulation allegation was later dismissed, and Willet was released from detention in December 2024. After his release, the Schaffhausen public prosecutor's office announced that there was no suspicion of homicide in the case. However, they said that there was a "strong suspicion of inciting and assisting suicide." It is illegal to encourage a person to take their own life for "selfish motives," such as financial gain, in Sweden. Self-publicity could also be considered a selfish motive, lawyers told The Times. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Philip Nitschke, the Australian activist and founder of Exit International who invented the pod, said in a statement on The Last Resort's website that Willet was "broken" after his time behind bars: "When Florian was released suddenly and unexpectedly from pre-trial detention in early December 2024, he was a changed man. Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence," Nitschke said. 'In its place was a man who was deeply traumatized by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation.' The statement said that Willet had been suffering from "acute polymorphic psychotic disorder" — according to the National Institute of Health, the disorder is characterized by a mixture of sudden-onset symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized behavior. Switzerland is among few countries where foreigners can travel to legally end their lives via assisted suicide, but Swiss officials have not yet approved the Sarco pod for the original article on People
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.
