1 month ago
Dignitas rank successful nan UK soared by 24 per cent past twelvemonth – arsenic assisted dying authorities yesterday came person successful Scotland.
There were 1,900 registered British members successful 2023, a emergence of 372 connected nan erstwhile year, according to figures.
Also past year, location were 40 UK residents who travelled to its session successful Switzerland to die, Dignitas revealed.
The UK ranks 2nd down Germany some successful nan number of its nationals registered arsenic members and nan full number of group who person made nan trip.
Overall, 1,454 group had travelled from Germany, while location were 571 from nan UK and 549 from France.
The UK ranks 2nd down Germany some successful nan number of its nationals registered arsenic members and nan full number of group who person made nan travel to Dignitas assisted termination session (pictured)
The figures screen 1998 to 2023. However, less from Germany person opted to dice astatine Dignitas, dropping into nan azygous digits successful caller years.
But nan number travelling from nan UK has risen, arsenic has that of France which saw 50 citizens make nan travel for an assisted decease past year. It comes arsenic authorities was published astatine Holyrood that looks to statesman nan process of Scotland becoming nan first federation successful nan UK to legalise assisted dying.
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced nan Bill which is apt to beryllium voted connected by MSPs later this twelvemonth – it came aft a consultation recovered 76 per cent of Scots supported nan proposals.
A ballot would beryllium nan 3rd clip nan rumor of assisted dying has travel earlier nan Scottish parliament – 2 erstwhile attempts to alteration nan rule person been resoundingly defeated.
The Bill sets retired conditions nether which assisted dying would beryllium legalised successful a bid to supply ‘robust safeguards’.
Under nan legislation, only those complete nan property of 16 pinch an precocious terminal unwellness would person nan action of an assisted death.
They would request to person nan intelligence capacity to make nan petition and nan Bill sets retired a 14-day mandatory ‘reflection’ period. The diligent would besides beryllium required to administer nan life-ending curen themselves.
Those eligible would besides beryllium required to person been resident successful Scotland for astatine slightest 12 months and beryllium registered pinch a aesculapian practice.
Mr McArthur said: ‘Currently successful Scotland assisted dying is illegal, a business that I judge is failing excessively galore terminally sick Scots astatine nan extremity of life.
'It is leaving them facing traumatic deaths that effect not conscionable them, but those that they time off behind. We tin and must do better.
‘The provisions... would beryllium robustly safeguarded to guarantee nan process useful arsenic intended.’
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur introduced nan Bill which is apt to beryllium voted connected by MSPs later this twelvemonth – it came aft a consultation recovered 76 per cent of Scots supported nan proposals
The Bill has been praised by campaigners, led by Dame Esther Rantzen who is herself a personnel of Dignitas, having been diagnosed pinch shape 4 lung cancer.
‘The existent rule is cruel, analyzable and causes unspeakable suffering to susceptible people,’ she said.
‘I person received dozens of letters from group describing nan agonising deaths of those they loved. This is virtually a life and decease issue.’
But Bishop of Paisley John Keenan said nan Bill ‘attacks quality dignity’ and introduces a vulnerable thought that a national tin suffer their worth and worth.
‘Assisted termination sends a connection that location are situations erstwhile termination is an due consequence to one’s individual circumstances, worries, anxieties,’ he said.
