A healthy mother of 56 from the West Midlands, who has no terminal illness, has paid £10,000 to end her life at a Swiss assisted dying clinic. Wendy Duffy, a former care worker, has been photographed smiling in happier times, but her decision comes after the heartbreaking loss of her son Marcus, 23, four years ago.
Wendy's decision and family reaction
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Wendy stated: "I want to die, and that's what I'm going to do. My life; my choice." Having already attempted suicide and failed, she has now informed her four sisters and two brothers of her decision to travel to Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic.
Concerns from campaigners
Alistair Thompson, spokesman for Care Not Killing, commented: "This is a tragic case that highlights the real dangers of legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia. In recent years, we have seen people with diabetes, eating disorders and even those losing their looks apply to have their lives ended under assisted dying legislation. This is why we argue there is no safe system anywhere in the world and why the House of Lords looks set to reject the assisted dying bill this week in Parliament."
Thompson added: "What we should be doing is concentrating on good palliative care rather than condoning the deaths of people who are clearly suffering in different ways. We have seen cases in Canada where a man applied for an assisted death because he was made homeless. That is the problem: once you legalise assisted killing, it is only a matter of who is eligible, and you end up with tragic cases like this."
Political response
Labour MP Rachel Maskell said: "Complex grief needs to be far better understood and supported. Nothing could be more tragic than losing your own child in unexpected circumstances, but Wendy's story highlights why far more needs to be invested into trauma management; the answer is not ending your own life. Investment in trauma-informed approaches to grief is crucial, while for those with enduring mental health challenges, services must rapidly improve. However, I believe we have a further duty – the Pegasos clinic in Switzerland should cause us alarm and we, as a Parliament, must explore ways of protecting people from using their 'services' if we are to protect people at their most vulnerable state."
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