The verdict in a murder trial Friday involving an elderly British man accused of smothering his wife with a pillow raises concerning questions about the growing push to legalize assisted suicide across the world.
According to the Catholic News Agency, judges in Cyprus decided David Hunter, 75, is guilty of manslaughter, not murder, because his wife reportedly begged for his help to commit suicide.
Assisted suicide is illegal in Cyprus and England. Hunter is a British citizen who moved to Cyprus with his wife after they retired, according to the report.
Allegedly, Hunter used a pillow to suffocate his wife, Janice, to death in December 2021 while she was suffering from blood cancer. According to court testimony, Hunter said his wife “begged him” to end her pain.
The law firm Justice Abroad, which represents Hunter, said the elderly man “acted spontaneously to end the life of his wife of over 50 years, upon her begging him to do so because of the pain she was under.”
In a statement after the ruling, the lawyers said they are glad the judges agreed that Hunter did not commit premeditated murder. They said they plan to ask for a suspended sentence at his July 27 hearing due to “the time David has already spent in custody, his age and the tragic facts of this case.”
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“This remains a tragic case,” said Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, in a statement. “Janice and David were in a loving relationship for over 50 years, and it is clear that David did what he did out of love for Janice upon her request.”
England and Cyprus are considering proposals to legalize assisted suicide, prompted by cases like the Hunters’. Advocates claim assisted suicide should be an option for patients with extreme suffering.
However, in countries like Canada and the Netherlands where the killing practice already is legal, abuses abound. The line that determines what constitutes extreme suffering keeps being lowered, and people with treatable conditions like autism and anorexia are asking to be killed. One recent Canadian poll even found support for euthanizing homeless people.
Additionally, disability rights advocates say assisted suicide laws are being used to discriminate against people with disabilities and deny them the care that they deserve.
Advocates of assisted suicide and euthanasia often point to tragic cases of extreme suffering to make their case. But their solution is to kill the sufferer, rather than find ways to alleviate the person’s suffering.
