Sean Davison, a 63-year-old former microbiologist from New Zealand, has been arrested in Dorset on suspicion of assisting 29 individuals to die, by helping them travel to Switzerland’s Pegasos clinic for so-called “medical assistance in dying.” The arrest, the culmination of a year-long investigation, could result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years if charges proceed. While Davison defends his actions as acts of compassion, pro-life voices see a far deeper moral problem.
SPUC condemn Stephen Davison’s actions as fundamentally misguided and assert that true compassion honours life, even when faced with suffering; it does not facilitate death. Legalising or enabling assisted suicide, risks undermining society’s commitment to the most vulnerable.
This case highlights broader risks. When individuals like Davison take it upon themselves to determine who deserves to die, society veers toward valuing autonomy over inherent human dignity. SPUC stresses that what begins as “compassion” for the terminally ill can easily expand into normalising euthanasia for fragile individuals, setting a dangerous precedent. Legal systems exist precisely to guard against this slippery slope.
SPUC underscores that public policy must focus on life-affirming responses, such as expanding palliative care, strengthening mental health resources, and alleviating loneliness or despair, not on providing “exit routes” from suffering. Enabling assisted suicide fails those in need by removing the impetus to find lasting solutions.
While the compassionate impulse behind Davison’s actions may resonate with some, SPUC warns that turning compassion into legality transforms ethical boundaries into liabilities. Lawmakers and society must resist the allure of assisted suicide and instead foster environments where life, no matter how short or burdened, is met with care, support, and dignity.
In this moment, Sean Davison’s arrest serves as a powerful reminder: facilitating death is never the answer. For SPUC and pro-life advocates, the mission remains clear—protect, support, and affirm life at every stage.
