A ‘suicide pod’ known as ‘The Sarco’ is seen in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (Pic credit: AP)
Swiss police have taken several individuals into custody following the use of the controversial Sarco suicide pod to end the life of a woman. The incident occurred on Monday in a forest hut located in the northern canton of Schaffhausen, prompting a criminal investigation. The Sarco capsule, which has sparked debates surrounding legal and ethical issues in Switzerland, where active euthanasia is prohibited but assisted dying has been legal for many years, is a portable, human-sized pod that replaces the oxygen inside with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia.The pod is self-operated by a button on the inside, allowing for death without medical supervision. According to The Last Resort, an assisted dying group, the deceased was a 64-year-old woman from the midwestern United States who “died using the Sarco device” at approximately 4.01pm (1401 GMT) on Monday. The public prosecutor’s office was informed of the assisted suicide by a law firm at 4.40 pm, leading to an investigation at the crime scene in Merishausen. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured, and the deceased was taken for an autopsy, while several people in the area were taken into police custody. “The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several people for inducement and aiding and abetting suicide… and several people have been placed in police custody,” the canton’s police force said. The use of the Sarco pod has raised concerns, with Swiss interior minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider saying that it is not compliant with Swiss law. She pointed out that the capsule does not meet product safety law requirements and cannot be placed on the market, and the use of nitrogen is not compatible with the purpose article of the Chemicals Act. To use the Sarco, the person wishing to die must first pass a psychiatric assessment, climb into the purple capsule, close the lid, and answer automated questions before pressing the button.
