Reluctance to punish.In Britain, a doctor who has helped people commit suicide Verb 1. commit suicide - kill oneself; "the terminally ill patient committed suicide" kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" has dared authorities to charge him (Independent, June 26). Dr. Michael Irwin, a retired general practitioner general practitioner n. Abbr. GP A physician whose practice consists of providing ongoing care covering a variety of medical problems in patients of all ages, often including referral to appropriate specialists. , was arrested in 2003 on suspicion of helping a terminally ill Terminally Ill When a person is not expected to live more than 12 months. Notes: Any gifts given out by the afflicted person at this time may be considered as a dispersion of the estate rather than a gift. friend to kill himself. Irwin told the newspaper he has advised at least five other people regarding travelling to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. Irwin, chairman of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society until last February, admitted he had drawn up a plan to help his friend Patrick Kneen commit suicide. Kneen died before the plan could be carried out. Police questioned Irwin, but decided not to prosecute him. Even when cases reach the courts, judges are sometimes reluctant to punish. In the Australian state of Tasmania, the Supreme Court convicted a man of assisting a suicide, but set him free with a 12-month suspended sentence A sentence given after the formal conviction of a crime that the convicted person is not required to serve. In criminal cases a trial judge has the ability to suspend the sentence of a convicted person. (Sydney Morning Herald, May 27, 2004). John Godfrey helped his mother Elizabeth die, as she was incapable of committing suicide by herself. According to Judge Peter Underwood, the son was "motivated solely by compassion and love" (Zenit, July 3, 2004). Comment: It is not morally licit to commit suicide, notes the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II. . "We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us" (No. 2280). |
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