Dignity in Dying: We need assisted dying legislation
Friday, 20 Oct 2006 09:26
The case of a man spared jail for helping his severely disabled wife to die highlights the need for assisted suicide laws, euthanasia campaign group Dignity in Dying has argued.
Chief executive Deborah Annetts said the sentencing of David March, who admitted aiding and abetting the suicide of Gillian March, showed such cases should not be dealt with under criminal law.
She added: "At a time when he should have been treated compassionately and allowed to grieve for his wife in peace, David March was arrested, charged with murder and had to wait over a year to know if he would be spending the next 14 years in prison."
New laws would "spare people" from "the terrible responsibility of deciding between their conscience and the law when a loved one asks for help to die", she said, stressing: "The law is inhumane and it is not working - it must be changed."