Police in Switzerland have made multiple arrests after a woman reportedly ended her life using a so-called suicide pod, marking what appears to be the first case of its kind.
Authorities in the Schaffhausen region stated that “several persons” were arrested on suspicion of inciting and aiding or abetting suicide, following her death on Monday in a pod produced by the company Sarco.
While assisted dying is legally permitted in specific cases in Switzerland, it is tightly regulated, and the Sarco pod has faced resistance.
The company behind the contentious device claims it allows individuals seeking to end their lives to operate it independently, without requiring medical oversight.
Police reported that the pod was used on Monday at a forest hut in Merishausen, a remote area of Switzerland near the German border.
The authorities were alerted by a law firm about the suicide involving the device. Neither the number of people arrested nor their identities were revealed, and the identity of the deceased was also withheld.
In July, a pro-assisted dying group that advocates for the Sarco device announced that it expected the pod to be used for the first time this year.
Supporters argue that it offers an alternative not dependent on drugs or doctors, expanding access to euthanasia, as the portable pod can be 3D-printed and assembled at home.
However, despite Switzerland’s progressive laws on assisted dying, the device has sparked opposition.
Critics are concerned that the sleek, modern design of the pod glamorizes suicide, and the fact that it can be operated without medical supervision raises alarm.
While assisted dying remains illegal in the UK and most other European countries, thousands have travelled to Switzerland over the years to end their lives.
