The aggressive way in which Sarco promoters stage their suicide machine evokes unease. Rightly so – as the disturbing handling of the suicide of a senior member by the organization shows.
Sarco in a landscape.
The suicide capsule Sarco appears like a futuristic design sculpture, an object trimmed for maximum aesthetics that even turns death into a matter of style. It is no coincidence that Sarco is referred to as the “Tesla of euthanasia.” It resembles more of a sports car than a device for self-killing. Everything seems effortless when the will to live is lost: one comfortably takes a seat in the capsule of “The Last Resort,” admires the landscape through the panoramic window, and embarks on a final journey by the push of a button.
A suicide is never monocausal
The psychological burdens of pre-trial detention should never be underestimated. The uncertainty, limited contact with personal surroundings, the burden of serious allegations, and isolation trigger strong fears and psychological stress in many pre-trial detainees. Even though Willet was released last December and the serious charge of intentional homicide was dropped: we cannot know how much pressure Willet was under due to the proceedings.
And yet, Nitschke simplifies things by emphasizing the criminal investigation and pre-trial detention as the sole causes of Willet’s suicide. A suicide is never monocausal, and pre-trial detention alone does not lead someone to take their own life. By consistently ignoring all other factors that could have led to Willet’s decision, Nitschke trivializes death as he is accused of doing in connection with his Sarco idea: as a simple process, detached from complex psychological, social, and ethical dimensions.
With his statement to the CH-Media newspapers that Willet died as a “martyr,” Nitschke goes even further: he instrumentalizes his death and makes it part of his campaign. “Martyr’s death” – this is how activists and jihadists speak, not individuals advocating for a dignified death. With such slogans and thought patterns, people who have lost their lives are reduced to a symbol for a mission. Ultimately, Nitschke puts his own interests above Willet’s person. This is the opposite of human dignity.
Inhumane way of dying
These are similar concerns to those expressed by ethicists last year when the first woman’s euthanasia with Sarco was discussed. Death through Sarco becomes a staging, “which in no way does justice to real life and the suffering of many people,” as theology professor Markus Zimmermann put it in an interview with the NZZ. He speaks of an inhumane way of dying in connection with Sarco.
It is important for society and politics to engage more intensively with euthanasia. Increasingly, people are demanding individual, dignified, and self-determined support in their last weeks and months, which also includes voluntary exit from life. There needs to be an agreement on the framework and circumstances under which this should be possible in Switzerland. Allowing activists to dictate this discussion, prioritizing their own marketing above all else, would be the wrong approach.