American Woman Dies by Assisted Suicide in Switzerland Using Controversial Sarco Device

Authorities in northern Switzerland have detained multiple individuals and launched a criminal investigation following the death of a person by assisted suicide on Monday, according to Schaffhausen police. Several people are under suspicion for “incitement and aiding and abetting suicide,” as confirmed by the police in a statement.

The assisted suicide was reportedly carried out using a controversial device known as the “Sarco” capsule, which allows the individual to initiate the process by pressing a button inside the sealed chamber. This triggers the release of nitrogen gas, which reduces oxygen levels and induces unconsciousness, ultimately leading to death by suffocation.

Philip Nitschke, an Australian doctor and founder of the right-to-die organization Exit International, is the inventor of the Sarco capsule. In a statement to Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant, Nitschke revealed that the individual who utilized the device was a 64-year-old American woman who had traveled to Switzerland specifically for the procedure. According to Nitschke, the event took place at 4:01 p.m. on Monday near a cabin in a forested area of Merishausen.

This marked the first documented use of the Sarco capsule, as confirmed by the Associated Press.

Florian Willet, the head of the Swiss assisted suicide group The Last Resort, was reportedly the only individual present at the scene when the woman initiated her death. Nitschke noted that the woman triggered the process by pressing the button herself after being examined by a psychiatrist, who confirmed her mental competence to make such a decision.

Nitschke described this event as a significant moment for the assisted suicide movement, highlighting the challenges in accessing “humane” drugs for those seeking to end their lives on their own terms.

Following the incident, law enforcement was alerted by a law firm, leading police and forensic teams to recover the Sarco capsule and transport the deceased woman for an autopsy. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.

In Switzerland, assisted suicide is legal as long as it is carried out without external influence, and anyone assisting must have no personal or financial interest in the act. Nitschke said he had been advised by legal experts that the use of the Sarco capsule complies with Swiss laws governing assisted suicide.