The controversial “Sarco-Pad” was used for the first time in Switzerland. The country has liberal legislation on suicide, but now the public prosecutor’s office has intervened.
The first use of the “Sarco-Pad” suicide capsule has apparently taken place in Switzerland. A person is said to have voluntarily ended their life with the help of the device.
The launch had been expected since July – and is now leading to a real legal showdown. As the police announced in a statement, the public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed by a law firm that an assisted suicide using the Sarco capsule had taken place on Monday near a forest hut in Merishausen. The public prosecutor’s office had previously warned the lawyers of Exit International, the organization behind the capsule, that anyone who used the capsule would face criminal proceedings.
According to the police, “several people” have now been taken into custody. The Dutch newspaper “Volkskrant” reported that one of its photographers had also been arrested. The Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider stated: “The Sarco suicide capsule is not legal.” It does not meet the requirements of product safety law. “It must therefore not be placed on the market.”
Clarification of the legal situation
In Switzerland, however, suicide is generally permitted. Even assisted suicide is permitted, as long as the person takes their own life without “external help” and the person helping them die does not do so for “selfish motives”. The upcoming proceedings will put an end to the current legal uncertainty, depending on whether or not a conviction is made in the main case.
Switzerland is one of the countries that see the desire to end one’s own life as a civil liberty, as a moment of self-determination. Many states see this much more restrictively, with the result that a kind of suicide tourism has developed under the slogan “Last Trip to Switzerland”. In this context, the Australian Philip Nitschke presented the project of a death capsule in 2019. “Sarco” – an allusion to sarcophagus – is a futuristic-looking elongated capsule that is intended to enable a painless death without the help of other people. Visually, the capsule is reminiscent of the deep sleep capsules from science fiction films.
Help from a doctor is needed
In 2020, around 1,300 people died by assisted suicide in Switzerland. There, even non-Swiss citizens can seek help from special organizations that provide passive euthanasia. The poison pentobarbital is usually administered to ensure a death that is as painless as possible. The organization is necessary because, although suicide is permitted in Switzerland, that does not mean that lethal poisons are freely available. Only a doctor can obtain the prescription-only pentobarbital.
Sarco-Pad uses nitrogen
The Sarco capsule, on the other hand, works with nitrogen. Nitrogen is a naturally occurring gas, it can be acquired normally and is not actually poisonous or fatal. Death occurs due to a lack of oxygen. That is why a truly airtight capsule is needed in which oxygen is replaced by nitrogen. This type of death is considered painless. Death by nitrogen does not normally occur in nature, but carbon monoxide poisoning is similar. The victims do not notice the lack of oxygen, they fall asleep or do not wake up – a clear sign that they are not suffering. It is important that the breathing process continues unhindered. If the breathing reflex is suppressed, the body fights against death in panic, just as it does with strangulation.
Can be used in the usual environment
The capsule is produced in a 3D printer in the Netherlands. The manufacturer is based there, but Swiss law favors euthanasia by machine. In other countries, the involvement of a doctor is sometimes mandatory.
The machine works autonomously and can be transported anywhere. Death can therefore take place in a hospice, in one’s own bedroom – or, as is apparently now happening in Switzerland – in a forest hut. The choice of location is often a problem there, because death tourists have repeatedly used hotel rooms for their deaths.
The process itself is extremely simple. The patient lies down in the capsule, closes it and then has to pull a lever. After that, he feels a little “dazzled” and euphoric before sinking into unconsciousness in less than 30 seconds. Death then occurs due to lack of oxygen.
Switzerland’s PR problem
In principle, suicide can be achieved by many means without medical assistance. The Romans opened their veins in the bath, in the USA firearms are often used to end one’s life. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be provoked with a manipulated gas burner. Sarco now promises a safe and painless dying process.
The huge PR hype surrounding the killing machine is likely to be a problem for official bodies. Inventor Philip Nitschke is committed to helping the world’s dying people in an unbureaucratic way. For the Swiss government, however, an uncontrolled increase in death tourism is likely to be a nightmare.
No contact in the last few minutes
A device like the Sarco-Pod will not be approved in Germany in the foreseeable future. Nor will the propagated “barrier-free” access. The “final journey to Switzerland” is also more complicated in practice than hoped. Assisted death entails costs; aid organizations cite sums of around 10,000 euros. There are countries where clinics support the route via Switzerland. For private individuals from Germany, forward planning is necessary; a last-ditch call would probably not achieve the goal.
The traditional euthanasia organizations do not see the benefit of the “Sarco-Pad”. In practice, most patients seek physical proximity to people they trust at the moment of death – for example, a hug or a stroking of the hand. This is not possible in the locked cabin.
Do you have suicidal thoughts? Help is available from . It is anonymous, free of charge and available around the clock on 0 800 / 111 0 111 and 0 800 / 111 0 222. Advice is also available is possible. A can be found on the website of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
For children and young people, the from Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. – the number is 116 111.
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
