An American woman who was due to be the first person to die in a ‘suicide capsule’ has gone missing after being told she was not a suitable candidate for euthanasia, according to the company behind the device.
The 55-year-old woman, dubbed Person X, had traveled to Switzerland to use the ‘Sarco’ pod – designed to allow its occupant to push a button and trigger their own death.
But its inventor, controversial assisted dying advocate Dr Philip Nitschke, said her planned death on July 17 was ‘aborted’ after she was found to be suffering from ‘deteriorating mental health’.
After being denied use of the machine, the woman disappeared in mid-July, and has not been contactable since, according to Dr Nitschke’s firm Exit International.
Her disappearance was reported to Zurich Cantonal Police this morning, the force confirmed to MailOnline.
Picture shows a prototype of the ‘Sarco’ euthanasia capsule, which its creators claim allows the occupant to push a button and trigger their own death
Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke (pictured), also known as ‘Dr Death’, is a former physician and head of the voluntary euthanasia campaign Exit International
Dr Nitschke earlier said of the decision to deny her use of the Sarco: ‘Given her situation, it is clear that this is a person who should now be receiving mental health care, rather than any suicide assistance.’
The Sarco, short for sarcophagus, is meant to allow the euthanasia patient inside it to press a button and die ‘within seconds’, according to Exit International.
The pod – which looks like something out of a sci-fi film and has been likened to a Tesla car – fills with nitrogen to starve the occupant of oxygen, rendering the patient unconscious before they die.
‘It was clear from statements attributed to the woman over the past weeks that she had become seriously mentally disturbed,’ Dr Nitschke said.
‘We have tried all avenues to make contact, but we have so far failed to locate the woman,’ he added.
It comes after reports yesterday that the first deployment of the ‘Sarco’ pod had been ‘permanently postponed’.
Dr Nitschke, who has widely been dubbed ‘Dr Death’, is said to be involved in the pre-screening of the next person hoping to use the device.
Swiss prosecutors previously warned that anyone assisting someone in using the pod could face up to five years behind bars.
Schaffhausen Canton Public Prosecutor Peter Sticher warned of ‘serious consequences’ for Nitschke for ‘inducement and aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons.’
In a letter obtained by Swiss media, Sticher said: ‘There is no reliable information about the method of killing.
‘[It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process.’
Prosecutors said that under section 115 of the canton’s penal code, it would be impossible to establish just who was doing the killing
Would-be users would have to fill in an online survey before being given a pod’s location and an access code, like a delivery mailbox.
Then inside the capsule, they confirm who they are, where they are, and if they know what happens when they press the button.
If they go ahead a flood of nitrogen lowers the oxygen level from 21 per cent to just one per cent, supposedly killing them in 30 seconds.
Nitschke explained: ‘Death takes place through hypoxia and hypocapnia, oxygen and carbon dioxide deprivation, respectively. There is no panic, no choking.’
The doctor’s plans to use Sarco for the first time have caused uproar from ‘pro-life’ organisations, including CARE.
James Mildred, director of engagement at CARE, said: ‘Philip Nitschke’s device has been condemned by a broad range of commentators.
‘Many people feel that it trivialises, and even glamourises, suicide.
‘We believe that suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent in every circumstance.
‘There are ethical ways to help human beings that don’t involve the destruction of life.’
Swiss prosecutors warned earlier this month that anyone assisting someone in using the pods could face up to five years behind bars
The project has come up against a number of obstacles in the past, with it unclear if Swiss authorities could prosecute over the use of the machine.
Sarco’s creators said in 2021 that it had passed legal review in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal and hundreds of people use the services of organisations such as Dignitas and Exit (a separate group to Dr Nitschke’s) every year.
But Kerstin Noëlle Vokinger, a Professor of Law and Medicine at the University of Zurich, has said that Sarco may need to be certified under the country’s Medical Devices Act, which it is not.
As its manufacturer, Dr Nitschke could therefore be taking a risk by using Sarco if he were to be reported and a court came to the same conclusions as Vokinger, NZZ reports. A legal report previously stated it is not and does not break any laws.
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