Australia: Melbourne office of Exit International raided by police

Description:

Police detectives arrived at Exit International's Melbourne office and seized documents and records concerning Frank Ward, a 76-year-old Brisbane man who is believed to have died on June 20 from helium inhalation.

From San Francisco, Dr Philip Nitschke said that Ward had contacted Exit International, but that EI was not actively involved in Ward's death. Nitschke said that this is the first time since 2002 that police have used a "heavy-handed" approach: "We are not happy about it, it was unnecessary and it makes us uncomfortable, our office manager was in quite a state when she rang me. We have always had quite an open policy in providing documents and co-operating with authorities."

[Note: Some other recent stories related to this topic are in the Links: section below.]

[Note: there are stories in the Overflow: section below.]

Links:

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Source:

"Euthanasia group raided over suicide". PerthNow. November 12, 2009 03:48pm. <www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,26341141-5005361,00.html>. The Sunday Times, 34 Stirling Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Copyright 2009 The Sunday Times. All times AWST (GMT +8). AAP Australian Associated Press.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • Exit International

  • police

  • Australia

Overflow:

Stories that EuthaNEWSia did not get to:

  • South Australia: Embroiled in a lethal argument [The Australian]
    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/embroiled-in-a-lethal-argument/story-e6frg7ko-1225795218619

    An columnist surveys the situation in South Australia: "Last week the longstanding majority against legalised euthanasia in the South Australian upper house came perilously close to collapsing. Most observers doubt that Ann Bressington, the Legislative Council independent member who cast her vote to enable further debate on a legalisation bill, will ultimately support it. But even if she were to do so, there is not enough time for the House of Assembly to consider it in the last fortnight of sittings before Christmas and the long recess until the state election in March. So the present bill will lapse. However, the election marks the retirement of some steadfast opponents of euthanasia and their replacement in both chambers by people who've indicated support for the bill. In the life of the next parliament, unless Premier Mike Rann decides to exert his considerable influence, a new private member's bill will be introduced and is likely to be passed after a conscience vote."

  • The Newest Star of Human Liberty [Compassion & Choices Blog]
    http://compassionandchoices.org/blog/?p=715

    Barbara Coombs Lee defines end-of-life choices in terms of human liberty: "The newest star in the constellation of autonomy and personal freedom emerges at the edge of life. Its light will shine fully when we establish the right of all terminally ill, mentally competent adults to control their last days. Securing the liberty to access medication one may choose to ingest to achieve a peaceful death establishes the over-riding principle that end-of-life decisions reside with patients themselves, not doctors, not politicians and not the government or religious leaders."

  • Britain: Dying GP urges new law on assisted suicide [Pulse]
    http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=35&storycode=4124261&c=2

    "Dr Ann McPherson is the GP behind the million-selling book Diary of a Teenage Health Freak and the DIPEx patient support charity. She is also terminally ill with advanced pancreatic cancer, and believes people suffering as she is must be given the option of an assisted death. She claimed the position held by the BMA and RCGP was far from evidence-based: 'There are different views but at the moment one view prevails and that seems to me wrong. There should be a proper debate.'"

  • New Jersey: HNH to open hospice on old Saddle River estate [NorthJersey.com]
    http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/69828427.html

    "Dying from an incurable disease is a lonely and painful ordeal. As victims of intractable cancers grow sicker, they become burdensome to their families, compounding the pain of their final days with feelings of guilt. There comes a time when the dying patient may recognize that the battle against the disease cannot be won.There comes a time when the dying patient may recognize that the battle against the disease cannot be won…. The Villa Marie Claire will focus on natural and holistic activities that bring spiritual healing to patients and families. "

  • Britain: Baby RB father drops right to life fight [Daily Mail]
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1226451/Mothers-views-childs-care-outweighs-father-says-senior-paediatrician.html

    Baby RB's father today conceded all but palliative treatment should be removed. In a statement the father said he had come to the 'agonisingly difficult decision' after listening to all the arguments presented in court.

  • Britain: Let's give elderly the legal right to die at home, says Health Secretary [Daily Mail]
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1226537/Lets-elderly-legal-right-die-home-says-Health-Secretary.html

    Health Secretary Andy Burnham is to announce plans to consult on a range of new 'patient rights'. Burnham says he wants to consult on a number of other legal entitlements, including the right to die at home.

  • Britain: Our great doctors will kill off the euthanasia lobby [Telegraph]
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/georgepitcher/100016287/our-great-doctors-will-kill-off-the-euthanasia-lobby/

    Opinion piece by the Telegraph's religion editor.

  • Tasmania: Terminal case of weakness [The Mercury]
    http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/11/09/108675_opinion.html

    Columnist in Tasmania's The Mercury writes: "Then on Wednesday night, 15 gutless MPs voted down Greens Leader Nick McKim's attempt to provide the ultimate human right: the right to choose when to die if one is in excruciating, irrecoverable pain…. The right to die will come one day, as did the end of slavery, and the right of black Americans to vote. Mr McKim should take some comfort from this."

  • Johnson: Friend's torturous death inspires fight for end-of-life rights [The Denver Post]
    http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13744692

    Sally Odenheimer is on a mission now, to rally support in Colorado for end-of-life-rights legislation that would allow others to escape the miserable end her friend, Kathy, suffered. "She could legally remove her feeding tube, but she could not ask for a lethal injection," Odenheimer said. Kathy had pleaded with the nurses for one. "In this country, we treat our animals better. I would never starve my dog to death if he was sick," she said. "But with a dog, we give them a lethal injection to prevent suffering."

  • Next Debate on Canada Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide Pushed to December [LifeNews.com]
    http://www.lifenews.com/bio2993.html

    "The original date for the second hour of debate was November 16, but Schadenberg learned that she had traded with another Bloc MP to move the date back to November 19. Yesterday, Lalonde pushed back the date to December 1 with the vote taking place the next day."

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid200911131075.
Mailed: Friday, November 13, 2009 14:31:53 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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