New Zealand-born euthanasia advocate Professor Sean Davison has been struck from that country's medical register for failing to disclose his role in the assisted suicides of three people in South Africa, for which he pleased guilty to murder and was sentenced to house arrest.
A lawyer for the Professional Conduct Committee, Jo Hughson, said Davison’s convictions and omissions to the Medical Sciences Council reflected adversely on his fitness to practise, and “undermined the integrity” of the profession. Hughson stated Davison’s actions demonstrated he believed he was “above the law”. His role in the deaths was a “deliberate breach of the obligation of all medical practitioners” to protect the “sanctity” of life, and would be seen by the public as “unacceptable” of a person registered in New Zealand.
Stuff reports that Davison appeared before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal via video link from South Africa, where he lives. The tribunal heard Davison wished to move back to New Zealand to practise pathology after completing his South African house arrest sentence and had been granted a provisional registration.
In 2019 – while holding that provisional registration with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand – the medical laboratory scientist pleaded guilty to three murders in South Africa and was sentenced to three years’ house arrest. The report says Davison previously admitted counselling and procuring the attempted suicide of his cancer-stricken elderly mother Patricia Davison, 85, who died in 2006. He was sentenced in the High Court-Dunedin to five months’ home detention in 2011.
The SA charges involved the 2013 death of his friend, Anrich Burger, a doctor who became a quadriplegic after a car crash; the death of Justin Varian, who had motor neurone disease, in July 2015; and the death of sportsman Richard Holland, who had suffered brain injuries and had no motor function following a bicycle accident.
The tribunal heard Davison wished to move back to New Zealand to practise pathology after completing house arrest, and was granted a provisional registration. He disclosed his conviction linked to the death of his mother, but, the report says, he failed to disclose that he had been involved in the murders of Varian and Holland when he knew his involvement was “unlawful conduct”, the tribunal heard.
Assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in South Africa.
A lawyer for the Professional Conduct Committee, Jo Hughson, said Davison’s convictions and omissions to the Medical Sciences Council reflected adversely on his fitness to practise, and “undermined the integrity” of the profession. Hughson stated Davison’s actions demonstrated he believed he was “above the law”. His role in the deaths was a “deliberate breach of the obligation of all medical practitioners” to protect the “sanctity” of life, and would be seen by the public as “unacceptable” of a person registered in New Zealand, Hughson said.
However, Davison’s lawyer, Robert Stewart, is quoted in the report as saying Davison’s involvement in the men's deaths was borne out of “compassion”. Davison rejected the idea that he was unfit to practise in a technical sense, but accepted that he had failed to disclose information, Stewart told the tribunal.
Davison told News24: "It is correct that I didn't inform them of helping three men to die prior to my conviction. Helping these men to end their suffering was a private matter between them and me. It was not something to share with anyone including the Medical Sciences Council," he said.
Davison said, when a New Zealand citizen was convicted in another country, the conviction could be transferred to New Zealand. This was despite him being a South African citizen for 25 years.
"This is what happened at the hearing last night (Monday). In effect, I have been given another sentence."
[link url="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300079176/kiwi-scientist-sean-davison-struck-off-over-role-in-assisted-deaths-in-south-africa"]Full Stuff report[/link]
[link url="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/just-in-euthanasia-advocate-sean-davison-struck-off-medical-register-in-new-zealand-20200811"]Full News24 report (Subscription may be necessary)[/link]
See also
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/euthanasia-advocate-gets-8-years-house-arrest-3-murders/"]Euthanasia advocate gets 8-years house arrest for 3 murders[/link]
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/sean-davison-victim-failure-sas-legal-process/"]Sean Davison 'a victim of the failure of SA's legal process'[/link]
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/questions-new-murder-charge-dignity-sas-davison/"]Questions over new murder charge against Dignity SA’s Davison[/link]