Several people have been detained and a criminal investigation has been opened in northern Switzerland following the suspected death of a person using a new “suicide capsule” called “Sarco”. The capsule, which has never been used before, allows a person to press a button that injects nitrogen gas into a sealed chamber, causing the person to fall asleep and die by suffocation in minutes.
The incident took place near a forest cabin in Merishausen, and prosecutors in Schaffhausen canton were informed by a law firm about the assisted suicide involving the Sarco capsule on Monday. “Several people” have been taken into custody on suspicion of incitement and accessory to suicide. A Dutch photographer was also detained by police for attempting to take pictures of the capsule’s use.
The assisted suicide group Exit International from the Netherlands claims to be behind the development of the Sarco capsule, which cost over $1 million to develop. Swiss law allows assisted suicide as long as there is no external assistance and those assisting have no self-serving motive. Dr. Philip Nitschke of Exit International stated that legal advice in Switzerland indicated that the use of Sarco would be legal.
However, Swiss prosecutors warned that operating the capsule could lead to criminal proceedings and up to five years in prison. Plans for a 54-year-old woman from the US to be the first to use the Sarco capsule were abandoned earlier in the summer due to legal concerns.
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