Dignitas founder dies by assisted suicide

The founder of Swiss non-profit organisation Dignitas, known for carrying out assisted deaths in the country, died aged 92 on Saturday 29 November.

Ludwig Minelli, who founded the company in 1998, has helped thousands of people to die at a time of their choosing. The method of assisted death has grown in popularity for those who are terminally ill or unendurably disabled and may choose to cut short the years of pain and suffering by ending their lives.

The Swiss clinic released a statement following the passing of their owner, who was just days from his 93rd birthday.

While this method is carried out regularly in Switzerland, many other countries have since changed their stance on assisted dying, with the UK House of Lords even considering the assisted dying bill, while the likes of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have introduced laws.

Ludwig Minella has died by assisted dying (SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/GettyImages)

In their official statement, Dignitas said that their founder lived a 'life for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights', with many still opposing the idea of an assisted death despite the rules put in place.

Some claim that if the legislation were to be introduced in the UK, it would cause disabled and vulnerable people to be coerced into putting an end to their lives.

Minelli himself started out as a journalist for Germany news outlet Der Spiegel, before delving into the world of law and human rights in particular.

Having campaigned for the right to die over the years, he eventually gave his company the slogan, 'dignity in life, dignity in death'.

He founded Dignitas after leaving Exit, an older Swiss assisted dying organisation, as he felt the rules they had were too restrictive, as his new company started to gain a reputation as it offered assisted suicide to non-Swiss individuals choosing assisted suicide if it wasn't legal in their own countries.

The method itself provides two choices, either using a drip and turning a valve to release the drug Pentobarbital of Sodium, putting you to sleep, or drinking a stomach soother before consuming the drug in drink form with a chocolate bar to make the taste more tolerable.

People in Switzerland themselves would criticise Minelli as the company was accused of helping those who wanted to end their lives instead of just those who were terminally ill, while question marks were raised over their financial dealings.

A Dignitas clinic in Zurich pictured in 2009 (SEBASTIAN DERUNGS/AFP via Getty Images)

The statement highlighted a curt case in 2011: "With his appeals to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, Minelli has had a lasting influence on Swiss law."

It resulted in a person being given the choice to decide on the manner and time of their own death, though euthanasia itself, a lethal drug administered by a doctor to painlessly end one's life, is illegal in Switzerland.

Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since 1942, with rules stating that as long as there is no profit motive involved and the person wishing to die was of sound mind, it could go ahead.

The statement stated that Minella planned for a 'seamless transition' prior to him passing away, adding: "The DIGNITAS team will continue to manage and develop the association in the spirit of its founder as a professional and combative international organisation for self-determination and freedom of choice in life and at the end of life."

For advice, support, and more information, you can contact the nurse-led specialist team at Compassion in Dying via their helpline 0800 999 2434. You can also email them at [email protected].

Additionally, if you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.