Wednesday December 17th 2008
The case of Craig Ewert has pushed the debate about Assisted Suicide to new levels. He allowed his visit to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland, where he was helped to end his life, to be filmed. The film was shown on Sky Television on Wednesday 10th December 2008. Television watchdogs expressed concern that the programme, Right to Die, shown on Sky Real Lives, would promote euthanasia. Mr Ewert, who suffered from motor neurone disease (MND), was filmed as he passed away, comforted by Mary, his wife of 37 years, at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich in September 2006. The screening of the documentary caused a great deal of controversy among the usual groups but on this occasion repercussions were felt even in the House of Commons. At Prime Minister’s Question Time Gordon Brown made clear his own opposition to assisted suicide, saying: “I believe that it is necessary to ensure that there is never a case in this country where a sick or elderly person feels under pressure to agree to an assisted death or somehow feels it is the expected thing to do. That is why I have always opposed legislation for assisted deaths.’”
Information about the programme Telegraph
Ewert’s wife explains his hopes about the film. Telegraph
Comment on the programme Telegraph
Legacy Margo MacDonald a Scottish MP on the “right to die”. Telegraph.
