Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Is the PS5 good value for money
    • Being without an F1 win since 2013 “doesn’t sound right”
    • Woman raped by group of men in Oxfordshire churchyard
    • India 9-0 in chases against Pakistan
    • Chelsea 4-0 West Ham Game Analysis
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - USA News - Dr Florian Willet: Euthanasia advocate dies after being arrested over woman’s ‘suicide capsule’ death
    USA News Updated:June 3, 2025

    Dr Florian Willet: Euthanasia advocate dies after being arrested over woman’s ‘suicide capsule’ death

    By WTX News Editor4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Dr Florian Willet: Euthanasia advocate dies after being arrested over woman’s ‘suicide capsule’ death

    Cliff Notes – Euthanasia advocate dies

    • Content warning: this article contains references to suicide
    • Dr Florian Willet, a euthanasia advocate, died on 5 May following a fall from his Zurich flat, after being arrested concerning the death of a woman using a “suicide capsule” in Switzerland.
    • He was the only witness to the death of a 64-year-old American woman, and faced allegations regarding the pod’s functionality, which Exit International disputes, claiming the assisted suicide was filmed and compliant with legal standards.
    • After his release from pre-trial detention, Dr Willet struggled with the psychological aftermath, leading to his assisted suicide in Germany, where the practice is legal.

    Dr Florian Willet: Euthanasia advocate dies after being arrested over woman’s ‘suicide capsule’ death

    A euthanasia advocate has died after being detained following a woman’s “suicide capsule” death in Switzerland.

    Dr Florian Willet, who was arrested over the first reported use of the Sarco pod, died on 5 May, months after falling from the third floor of his building, according to an obituary written by Australian-born doctor Philip Nitschke, who invented the capsule.

    French National Assembly backs assisted dying bill
    French National Assembly backs assisted dying bill lobbied by American companies

    Dr Willet was the co-president of The Last Resort, a Swiss affiliate of assisted dying group Exit International, and was the only person present during the death of a 64-year-old American woman in a forest cabin in Merishausen, northern Switzerland, in September 2024.

    Dr Florian Willet used assisted dying to end her life

    Exit International said the woman suffered from “severe immune compromise” and she was the first person to die using the 3D-printed Sarco pod, which it said cost more than $1m (£747,440) to develop.

    The capsule is designed to allow a person inside to push a button that begins the assisted dying procedure.

    Dr Willet was arrested in the Swiss forest and placed in pre-trial detention for 70 days, with a prosecutor alleging that the pod had not worked and the woman had instead suffered injuries consistent with strangulation.

    Exit International claimed there was “no foundation” for the allegation, and previously said in a statement that the assisted suicide had been filmed and the footage had been provided to the prosecution.

    Australian Euthanasia advocate dies promoted by Philip Nitschke.

    The company suggest the death “peaceful, fast and dignified”

    Dr Willet had described the woman’s death as “peaceful, fast and dignified”, Exit International said. However, if you examine the death certificate the fall would have been terrifying and dismembered her body, which would have been agonising for her family and friends.

    Dr Nitschke, who lives in the Netherlands, said he was “pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed… to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person’s choosing”.

    He added that his organisation received advice from Swiss lawyers that using the Sarco would be legal in the country.

    Dr Willet was released from pre-trial detention in early December, but “he was a changed man” who lost his smile and self-confidence, whose “spirit was broken” and who “seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation”, according to Dr Nitschke.

    The 47-year-old sought psychiatric support in Zurich at Christmas, but discharged himself from the clinic before New Year’s Eve.

    Swiss law allows assisted suicide

    In January, Dr Willet fell from the third floor of his Zurich flat.

    “He did serious damage,” Dr Nitschke said, claiming doctors had diagnosed Dr Willet with an acute polymorphic disorder brought on by “the stress of the pre-trial detention and the associated pressures”.

    Dr Willet had surgery and went to rehab for his injuries in the three months after his fall.

    On 5 May, he died by assisted suicide in Cologne, Germany, Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reports. Assisted dying is legal in Germany.

    Swiss law allows assisted suicide so long as the person takes his or her life with no “external assistance” and those who help the person die do not do so for “any self-serving motive”. Some suggest thats a loop hole easily exploited by capitalism.

    Switzerland is among the only countries in the world where foreigners can travel to legally end their lives. It is home to several organisations dedicated to helping people achieve this.

    However, some politicians have argued the law is unclear and sought to close what they say are legal loopholes, with health minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider suggesting the use of the Sarco would not be legal.

    Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

    EU Featured featured Latest News Merishausen US featured
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleMan City target Wolves full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri sources
    Next Article Madeleine McCann: New search brings fresh hope but there are big unanswered questions
    WTX News Editor
    • X (Twitter)
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    The WTX News Teams works around the clock to deliver, breaking news and news Briefings to you on a daily basis. It is our opinion that sometimes you need information, not speculation so we try to cut through the bull**** and give you that in your Daily News Briefing.

    Related Posts

    Andy Burnham warns Labour not to ‘underestimate the peril’ party is in
    Liverpool news

    Andy Burnham warns Labour not to ‘underestimate the peril’ party is in

    More victims expected after Mormon church in Michigan set on fire during mass shooting
    UK News

    More victims expected after Mormon church in Michigan set on fire during mass shooting

    Lorenz Kraus: New York man arrested after admitting in TV interview he killed his parents
    UK News

    Lorenz Kraus: New York man arrested after admitting in TV interview he killed his parents

    Gustavo Petro: US revokes Colombian president’s visa after he urges troops to disobey Donald Trump’s orders
    UK News

    Gustavo Petro: US revokes Colombian president’s visa after he urges troops to disobey Donald Trump’s orders

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Woman raped by group of men in Oxfordshire churchyard

    Woman raped by group of men in Oxfordshire churchyard

    Andy Burnham warns Labour not to ‘underestimate the peril’ party is in

    Andy Burnham warns Labour not to ‘underestimate the peril’ party is in

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • Is the PS5 good value for money September 29, 2025
    • Being without an F1 win since 2013 “doesn’t sound right” September 29, 2025
    • Woman raped by group of men in Oxfordshire churchyard September 29, 2025
    • India 9-0 in chases against Pakistan September 28, 2025
    • Chelsea 4-0 West Ham Game Analysis September 28, 2025
    WTX News latest breaking news sports and travel
    Latest News and analysis - Deciphering through the BS with exclusive News Briefings
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.