SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland (WKRC) – Police say they have arrested several people on suspicion of aiding the suicide of a man who allegedly chose to use an “assisted suicide pod” of his own accord.
Police said they have arrested several people they believe may have instigated, aided or abetted Monday's suicide inside the Sarco Assisted Suicide Pod.
The Sarco Assisted Suicide Pod (referred to as Sarco by its producer Exit International and often colloquially referred to as the Suicide Pod) was invented to provide individuals with a “peaceful, even happy death”. .
The project's website says it works by producing a “rapid drop in oxygen levels, while maintaining low CO2 levels”.
According to police, they received a tip from an unnamed law firm that Sarcopods were being used in a small cabin in a forest on the border of Germany and Switzerland.
Police said they found a sarcopod and a dead body at the scene, but their identities have not been released.
Additionally, police did not reveal the identities of the “several individuals” arrested, nor a head count.
Active euthanasia (euthanasia administered by a third party) is illegal in Switzerland, but assisted dying (providing materials for an individual to commit suicide) is largely legal, but the details can be complicated.
The SarcoPod was enabled to be used independently without medical supervision, but it has still faced some backlash in Switzerland.
Many critics specifically cite the device's sleek and artistic design, which they fear may glamorize suicide.
This event was the first use of the Circo Pod.