An ongoing murder case highlights the corrosive effect that the practice of assisted suicide and euthanasia in some countries is having on attitudes around the world. Notorious euthanasia activist, Sean Davidson is due to appear back in Cape Town Magistrate’s Court (South Africa), facing two charges of pre-meditated murder.
Davidson, who is the founder of South Africa’s ‘right to die’ organisation DignitySA was arrested in 2013 for the death of his friend, Anrich Burger who had become a quadriplegic following a car crash. According to the charge sheet, it was reported that Davidson had ‘administered a lethal amount of drugs to the quadriplegic deceased.’
The second charge against Davidson is in connection with the death of Justin Varian in 2015 who suffered from Motor Neurone Disease. The state accuses Davidson of ‘placing a bag over the deceased head and administering helium with the intent of helium deoxygenation and/or asphyxiation.’
During his first court appearance, Davidson, who also helped his mother end her life in New Zealand, asserted that he had ‘not committed any offence as alleged in this matter.’
Culture of death grips the globe
Currently in South Africa, euthanasia remains illegal. However, the sinister effects of euthanasia can be witnessed around the globe, with many nations submitting to the culture of death.
Since Canada legalised euthanasia in 2016, there have been at least 6,749 cases of medically assisted deaths, with over 803 dead in the first 6 months of legalisation. 2018 saw Canada’s euthanasia figures soar with over 3000 Canadians killed by their doctor. However, this figure does not include data from five Canadian territories, meaning the true number of Canadians killed by euthanasia will likely be much higher. 2018 also witnessed the chilling account of two Canadian doctors and a bioethicist argue for permission to take organs from patients who have signed up for euthanasia, whilst they are still alive.
The growing acceptance of euthanasia has led to the deaths of at-least three children in Belgium, which legalised child euthanasia in 2014. The country, which euthanises at-least five Belgians a day, was recently placed under world-wide scrutiny after three doctors were accused of certifying a 38 year old woman, Tine Nys, as autistic so she could die by euthanasia, and she subsequently killed by lethal injection in 2010. It was later discovered the deceased was not autistic but instead suffered of a ‘broken heart’ after a relationship break-up. Similarly, disturbing scenarios have occurred in the Netherlands which saw a doctor ask family members to ‘hold down’ a struggling patient whilst he euthanised her.
Shocking stories must stand as a warning
Despite these sinister stories of euthanasia surfacing around the globe, it was only this weekend that SNP MSPs made fresh attempts to impose assisted dying on Scotland. At the Sunday event entitled ‘It’s Time for the SNP to Support Assisted Dying’, SNP Chief Whip, George Adam, illustrated his keen enthusiasm for medically assisted death as he backed proposals for changing the law to be discussed in a citizens’ assembly.
SPUC Campaign Research Officer, Margaret Akers said: "It is chilling to see the way euthanasia and assisted suicide have been promoted around the globe. It is clear that legalising deliberate killing opens the door to significant abuses - and typically it is the vulnerable, infirm, and elderly who are most at risk. These stories should be a clear warning to legislators in the UK that physician - assisted suicide is never a safe choice."