X-Message-Number: 7804 Date: Tue, 04 Mar 1997 11:01:48 -0700 From: David Brandt-Erichsen <> Subject: 4th euthanasia in Australia From the Sydney Morning Herald, March 5 Sydney woman dies by euthanasia law By GAY ALCORN in Darwin A 72-year-old Sydney woman was transferred medically to Darwin to end her life under the Northern Territory's controversial voluntary euthanasia law on Saturday. The woman, who has not been named, had terminal cancer and became the fourth person to use the law, which is expected to be overturned by the Senate later this month. Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke, who assisted the woman to die, said the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was working "extremely well", but now at least one eligible patient was feeling pressure to die under the law because of the likelihood of the legislation being overturned. Dr Nitschke, in a statement released on the Internet, said the Senate should take into account the plight of such people and allow some dispensation so they could end their life after the Senate vote. "To offer these vulnerable people less than this is to behave in an inhumane, barbaric and essentially uncivilised manner, and will be a damning indictment of the Australian Senate," he said. Few details of the patient have been released, but Dr Nitschke said she was accompanied by her five adult children, who witnessed her death in a Darwin motel. She died by lethal injection via a computer-operated machine. The patient became the second interstate person and the second woman to use the law. Dr Nitschke said the approval of both a psychiatrist and specialist as required under the law had been found without difficulty, and there had been four Territory specialists willing to assist. A report of a Senate committee, which is inquiring into the effect of the Federal private member's bill on the Northern Territory law, is due to be tabled tomorrow. The vote is due later this month. The sponsor of the Federal law, Victorian Liberal backbencher Mr Kevin Andrews, said no dispensation could be offered to patients who had fulfilled the criteria unless there was an amendment to his bill, which he would not support. He said the fourth death showed there was now no public scrutiny of voluntary euthanasia deaths in the Territory. The following is the complete text of the statement from Dr. Philip Nitschke: DESPERATION AMONGST TERMINALLY ILL PANIC BEGINS AS SENATE VOTE DRAWS NEARER Dr Nitschke said today that the situation in the Northern Territory was "extremely unsatisfactory" as the time for the Senate vote on the Andrew's Bill to overturn the Territory's euthanasia legislation drew nearer. "Terminally ill patients who are establishing their eligibility under the Territory law are becoming extremely anxious and beginning to panic, as they realise that the possibility exists for the law to be cut from under them before they have a chance to benefit from it". "These patient have enough difficulty battling and dealing with the suffering from their terminal illness, without having now to deal with the additional anxiety brought about by the Senate vote". "Some patients have established their eligibility, and they are now confronted with the impossible situation of having to decide whether to go ahead prematurely and use the Act before the vote is taken in the Senate during March". Dr Nitschke urged the Senate to take account of the plight of these people and to indicate clearly to these patients that they will NOT have to end their lives before they wish. "All patients who have established their eligibility under this Territory law before the vote is taken in the Senate, should be given as much time as they need to decide whether or not they wish to go ahead and legally use the Territory law. To offer these vulnerable people less than this is to behave in an inhuman, barbaric, and essentially uncivilised manner, and will be a damning indictment of the Australian Senate". Philip Nitschke Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7804