British Couple Plan To Die In Double ‘Suicide Pod’ After Wife’s Dementia Diagnosis

A British couple has chosen to use a double ‘suicide pod’ so that they can die together while embracing each other in their final moments. They made this difficult decision after receiving devastating news. Peter Scott, 86, a retired RAF engineer, expressed that he couldn’t bear the idea of living without his wife Christine, 80, a retired nurse, who was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia, News.com. au reported. The couple, married for 46 years, will travel to Switzerland where voluntary assisted suicide has been legal in 1942.

They have registered with The Last Resort, a Swiss organization offering assisted dying through the Sarco pod. Notably, the coffin-like death pod, allows a euthanasia patient to press a button and die within seconds as the chamber fills with nitrogen, causing oxygen deprivation. It was first unveiled at the Venice Design Festival in 2019, to eliminate discomfort in the dying process.

Mr Scott expressed: ”We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are old and it does not do nice things to you. The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’s mental abilities in parallel to my physical decline is horrific to me.”

Euthanasia, or assisted dying, is currently illegal in England and Wales, with a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment for those found guilty of assisting someone in taking their own life.

”Obviously, I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life. Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her. We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can’t do that here in the UK”, he added.

The couple has also planned their final moments, including going for a walk in the Swiss Alps and having fish and wine as their last supper. 

Since 1942, Switzerland has permitted assisted suicide, with advocates emphasizing personal choice and control over the dying process as fundamental principles. Swiss law stipulates that individuals seeking to end their own lives must be of sound mind and should not be motivated by selfish reasons.