Exit association-mediated suicide: toxicologic and forensic aspects.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_35EAAB1406B3
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Review (review): journal as complete as possible of one specific subject, written based on exhaustive analyses from published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Exit association-mediated suicide: toxicologic and forensic aspects.
Journal
American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
Author(s)
Giroud C., Augsburger M., Horisberger B., Lucchini P., Rivier L., Mangin P.
ISSN
0195-7910
Publication state
Published
Issued date
1999
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
20
Number
1
Pages
40-44
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review
Abstract
The Swiss German chapter of the Exit Association provides conditional assistance to individuals wishing to end their own lives. The Exit Association advocates death with dignity and fights for the right to freely choose the timing of one's own death. According to the Swiss criminal code (articles 114 and 115), altruistic assistance to suicide is not punishable. Active euthanasia is punished by imprisonment. An individual commits active euthanasia if he or she is driven by honorable motives (e.g., pity) and causes the death of another person wishing to die who seriously and insistently requests such action. Based on our information, the preparation for suicide and its completion relies on a well-defined protocol. First, the candidate's eligibility for Exit Association assistance is verified. The candidate then writes a farewell declaration that explicitly confirms the will to terminate his or her own life. A written report describes the events during the suicide procedure. Depending on the circumstances, the investigative judge requests a forensic autopsy and toxicologic analyses. The results of the forensic investigations conducted in the cases presented here are in agreement with the scenario described in the reports of the Exit Association, namely, suicide by massive ingestion of pentobarbital.
Keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Clinical Protocols, Euthanasia, Female, Forensic Medicine, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pentobarbital, Right to Die, Suicide, Assisted, Time Factors
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
08/02/2008 18:44
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:23
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