MPs and Campaigners Warn of Potential Pressure for Elderly and Depressed Individuals to Choose Assisted Suicide

Campaigners have issued a warning about the potential consequences of legalized assisted suicide, suggesting that individuals dealing with depression and the elderly might volunteer to be euthanized.

A broad debate in Westminster Hall on Monday witnessed MPs from various political backgrounds expressing support for the legalization of medically-assisted suicide on the grounds that it offers a dignified death for those with terminal illnesses and spares families from witnessing their loved ones suffer.

However, critics cautioned that the limitations on who would qualify for assisted suicide could extend beyond those with terminal illnesses, with MPs pointing to cases overseas where young people with PTSD and depression accessed state-sanctioned euthanasia.

Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne recounted the story of 23-year-old Shanti De Corte, who was euthanized in Belgium in 2022 due to suffering from PTSD following the 2016 Brussels airport Islamist terror attack.

The MP for New Forest West highlighted that the progression from assisted dying for the terminally ill to those with non-fatal conditions like depression has been a common trend in jurisdictions that have implemented it.

Furthermore, Sir Desmond cautioned, “If we start using assisted dying as a form of therapy to end suffering—despite the existence of other treatments—we will fundamentally change the nature of assisted dying, shifting it from a way to end suffering in death to a means of ending suffering in life.”

The discussion, not tied to any legislative proposal, was initiated by a petition following a campaign by Dame Esther Rantzen, who disclosed having stage four cancer and has connected with the Swiss Dignitas clinic.

Right to Die Becomes Duty to Die

Campaigners on both sides of the assisted suicide debate demonstrated outside Parliament, with pro-life advocates echoing concerns raised by Sir Desmond about potential expanded access to euthanasia beyond the original intent.

Dr. Mark Pickering, CEO at the Christian Medical Fellowship and spokesperson for Care Not Killing, described the measures as a dangerous precedent, warning that once the door is opened, it cannot be closed, pointing to examples in The Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada where assisted suicide has surpassed its initial purpose.

Dr. Pickering also noted how in several countries, the focus around assisted suicide had shifted from an individual’s right to die to a perceived duty to die, as the concept of death becomes an option offered, suggested, and even encouraged, leading people to consider it as a viable choice.

Government minister Laura Farris acknowledged that when the Canadian legislation was first introduced in 2016, the criteria revolved around individuals having a grievous and irremediable medical condition with death reasonably foreseeable.

She added, “What has been delayed but agreed is to remove the requirement that death is foreseeable. And finally, they are also deliberating whether the Act should encompass situations where there is no physical ailment at all.”

Sir Desmond also highlighted statistics from Oregon, where assisted suicide has been legal for twenty years, showing that 52 percent of applicants sought it to avoid being a burden, far outnumbering those who sought it to alleviate end-of-life pain.

He cautioned, “There is a significant risk, in my opinion, that what starts as a choice will eventually evolve into an expectation.”

Likewise, MP Stephen Tims argued that legalizing assisted dying would impose a difficult dilemma on the elderly, frail, and vulnerable individuals who do not wish to die but also do not wish to burden others.

“I don’t think we can avoid imposing that dilemma,” Mr. Tims remarked.

Assisted Suicide ‘Corrupts Medicine Completely’

Speaking outside Parliament, Gordon MacDonald from Care Not Killing cautioned that legalizing assisted suicide “corrupts medicine completely,” highlighting how it could impact the UK’s opt-out organ donation laws.

Mr. MacDonald warned, “If people don’t express their views, then it’s assumed that their organs can be donated. So you then put an additional pressure on the health service to consider organ donation as a factor in the whole process.”

He raised concerns that increased organ donations resulting from a rise in assisted suicide and the cost savings associated with euthanasia, as opposed to palliative care, might become part of the discourse “and it shouldn’t be part of the debate.”

“That’s the danger—that [assisted suicide] corrupts medicine completely,” he said.

People Don’t Understand What Assisted Dying ‘Actually Means’

Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who initiated the Westminster Hall debate, mentioned a shift in public opinion regarding assisted dying, referencing polls by Dignity in Dying indicating strong support for law changes with safeguards in place.

Conservative MP Fiona Bruce raised concerns about the Dignity in Dying poll and similar surveys, pointing out that respondents might not fully grasp what “assisted dying” entails when expressing support, emphasizing the need for caution in interpreting such studies.

Ms. Bruce stated, “In 2021, a Survation poll asked over 1,000 members of the public what they thought the term ‘assisted dying’ meant. Only four in ten correctly understood it to mean providing those with less than six months to live lethal drugs to end their life.

“However, the same proportion incorrectly thought that it meant giving people who are dying the right to stop life-prolonging treatment—something that is already legal in the UK.

“Concerningly, one in ten said it referred to the provision of hospice-type care for people who are dying. So six in ten did not understand what the term ‘assisted dying’ actually means.”

No formal vote was conducted on the proposed legislation, as this debate did not constitute an official bill.

Conservative MP Steve Brine mentioned that the government’s response, released on Monday, clarified that they had no plans to introduce legislation in this area, with potential changes in the law being pursued through a private member’s bill.

Legislators in Scotland and the Crown Dependencies, including the Channel Island of Jersey and the Isle of Man, are working on legislation that could legalize assisted dying within their jurisdictions.

Sir Keir Starmer, a potential future prime minister after the General Election, expressed personal support for a change in the law regarding assisted suicide.

“I’m personally in favor of changing the law,” Sir Keir assured Dame Esther in a televised conversation aired by ITV News last month.

“We will make the commitment. Esther, I can give you that commitment right now,” he affirmed.

NTD reporter Malcolm Hudson contributed to this report.