Several Arrested After 'Suicide Pod' Death

In a first-of-its-kind case, Police in Switzerland has made multiple arrests after someone reportedly ended their life using a so-called suicide pod.

According to the Police in Schaffhausen region "several persons" were arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting suicide after someone died reportedly by using a Sarco-made pod on Monday.

Although assisted dying is legally protected in some circumstances in Switzerland, the Sarco pod has encountered some opposition.

Officers recovered the device and body at the scene.

The company behind the controversial pod says it can be solely operated by the person seeking to end their own life, without medical supervision.

Police reported that a Sarco suicide device was used on Monday at a remote forest hut in the Merishausen area, a sparsely populated region near Switzerland's border with Germany. Authorities were alerted by a law firm regarding a suicide involving the device. The number of individuals arrested and their identities, as well as the name of the deceased, have not been disclosed.

In July, a pro-assisted dying organization that supports the Sarco device mentioned that it expected the device to be used for the first time this year.

Advocates argue that the device offers an alternative to traditional euthanasia methods by not requiring the use of drugs or the involvement of doctors. It also increases accessibility since the portable device can be 3D-printed and assembled at home.

Despite Switzerland’s strong legal protections around assisted dying, the device has faced opposition. Critics worry that its modern design may glamorize suicide, and the fact that it can be used without medical supervision raises additional concerns.

Assisted dying is illegal in the UK and in most other European countries, but thousands have travelled to Switzerland over the years to end their own lives.