SA euthanasia activist Sean Davison has been arrested in London for assisting a terminally-ill patient to die.
According to Netwerk24, Davison had accompanied a 79-year-old English woman to the Pegasos Clinic in Switzerland on 29 June. The DignitySA co-founder was arrested on 15 July and part of his bail conditions is that he may not talk to the media.
DignitySA co-founder Willem Landman said Davidson wanted to warn families that they may face prosecution if accompanying loved ones to Switzerland.
“The irony is that Sean is being charged with a crime which is soon to be decriminalised in parts of the UK,” Landman said. A private Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales was tabled in the House of Lords on Friday.
Davison’s bail conditions include a prohibition of working with DignitySA or some 80 other groups lobbying for legalised euthanasia.
Meanwhile, the British police have indicated they are also investigating “additional charges” against Davison.
DignitySA is concerned that he will be charged due to the widely publicised death of South African Carol de Swardt, whom he accompanied to Pegasos on 31 January this year for her voluntary assisted suicide.
Davison recently resigned from Exit International – an organisation that advocates people’s right to euthanasia – and was soon to take up his new position as head of Pegasos, said Landman.
However, his bail conditions prevent him from travelling to Switzerland and starting work there.
In Landman’s opinion, the British prosecution authority is using Davison’s case to seek clarity from the judiciary on a grey area in UK law.
“While many people have helped others travel to Switzerland to either the Pegasos or Dignitas clinic, the police may think that the larger number of people Sean has helped will lead to a successful prosecution, which in turn will bring clarity to this legislation.”
Davison was sentenced to house arrest in New Zealand in 2010 for assisting his terminally ill mother to die. Assisted dying has since been legalised in that country.
He also reached a plea and sentence agreement in SA in 2019 and was sentenced to three years of house arrest.
Netwerk24 article – Londen se polisie arresteer Sean Davison weer oor genadedood (Restricted access)
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