Swiss authorities have launched a criminal investigation and detained several people connected to the suspected death of a person using a “suicide capsule” in northern Switzerland.
The device in question, known as the “Sarco” capsule, had never been used before. It is believed to allow someone inside to activate a mechanism to release nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber, causing the user to lose consciousness and die from asphyxiation.
Exit International, an assisted suicide advocacy group based in the Netherlands, has admitted to developing the 3D-printed device, which they’ve said cost over $1 million to create.
In a statement, the organization said a 64-year-old woman from the U.S. Midwest, who they said had “severe immune compromise,” died Monday using the device near the German border. They said Florian Willet, co-president of The Last Resort, an affiliate of Exit International, was the only person present and that the woman had died “peaceful, fast and dignified.”
According to police statements, prosecutors in Schaffhausen canton were alerted by a law firm that an assisted suicide had occurred using the Sarco device, which reportedly took place on Monday near a forest cabin in Merishausen.
In a statement, regional police said authorities had detained multiple people based upon suspicions of incitement and being an accessory to suicide.
Dr. Philip Nitschke, an Australian physician associated with Exit International, previously told the Associated Press that the organization had received legal advice that indicated it would be okay to use the Sarco capsule in Switzerland. However, Swiss officials have challenged this claim.
In a statement Tuesday, Nitschke said he was pleased Sarco had performed as it should to “provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person’s choosing.”
The claims by Nitschke and or Exit International couldn’t be verified.
On Tuesday, the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reported that the police had also detained one of the organization’s photographers who wanted to take pictures of Sarco in use. Police said he was being held at a police station but decided not to say more.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry in an email to the Associated Press said that it was already in contact with Volkskrant and Swiss officials.
“As always, we cannot interfere in the legal process of another country. At the same time, the Netherlands stands firmly for press freedom. It is very important that journalists worldwide can do their work freely,” it said.
Swiss law allows assisted suicide under specific conditions. The person must take their own life without “external assistance,” and those aiding the process must not have any “self-serving motive,” as stated on a government website.
The introduction of the Sarco capsule has sparked legal and ethical debates in Switzerland.
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Switzerland’s interior minister, said in a statement Monday the Sarco pod doesn’t conform to Swiss regulations.
“On one hand, it does not fulfill the demands of the product safety law, and as such, must not be brought into circulation,” she said. “On the other hand, the corresponding use of nitrogen is not compatible with the article on purpose in the chemicals law.”
While Switzerland is among the few countries where foreigners can legally end their lives, it does not allow euthanasia, which is when healthcare practitioners administer lethal injections at patients’ requests under specific circumstances.
A 54-year-old U.S. woman who had multiple ailments had also planned to use the pod over the summer, which would have made her the first, but the plans were abandoned. Other prosecutors throughout Swiss regions have warned that the use of the capsule would lead to prosecution.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. Callers will be connected with trained counselors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.