Swiss group to allow assisted suicide for 'old age'
Swiss organisation Exit has voted to offer assisted suicide to elderly people even if they are not suffering from a terminal illness.
At its annual general meeting last weekend, the group added "suicide due to old age" to its statutes. This will allow it to offer assisted suicide to those with a ranger of physical or psychological ailments associated with growing old.
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland with each organisation determining its own criteria for those who can access it.
Exit's decision has attracted criticism from the Swiss Medical Association which is strongly opposed to the move. The Association's President, Dr Jürg Schlup said: "It gives us cause for concern because it cannot be ruled out that elderly healthy people could come under pressure of taking their own life".
Andrea Williams reacted to the news by saying:
"This is another example of the 'creeping effect' that we have already seen operating in Europe within the last year. Once assisted suicide is legalised it gradually becomes more and more widely available. Protections are removed and criteria become vague. Imagine the increased pressure that many older people in Switzerland will now be made to feel 'not to be a burden on others'.
"It is just one reason among many that we must never give up on fighting moves in this country to introduce assisted suicide. There is no room for complacency. Compassion demands that we protect those who are vulnerable, not give up on them. Life is to be prized not despised. It is a gift of God and once we start trying to take His place, all manner of terrible things begin to happen."
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