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A 43-year-old quadriplegic man in Italy has won the approval of regional health authorities for his bid to end his own life, moving the country toward its first case of legal assisted suicide, the not-for-profit Luca Coscioni Association announced on Tuesday.
The man, identified only as Mario, was paralyzed in a traffic accident 10 years ago. He had initially decided to go to Switzerland, which has right-to-die laws in place, but then decided to take his case forward in Italy. The NGO backed a 14-month legal campaign, saying it had prevailed after meeting an initial refusal from the health authorities and fighting two court cases.
The Luca Coscioni Association said the latest decision by the ethical board of the health authority in the region of Marche should clear the way for the patient to go through with the assisted suicide, although the method by which it can be carried out remains to be decided. In a copy of an assessment carried out by the board, obtained by newspaper Corriere della Sera, the board judged the patient was mentally sound and in overwhelming physical and psychological pain.
The legality of assisted suicide remains a fraught issue in Italy, where it is opposed by the powerful Roman Catholic Church and some politicians. A 2019 decision by the country’s Constitutional Court — in a case where a totally paralyzed man was brought by the Luca Coscioni Association to Switzerland to die — found that assisted suicide was permissible when patients are able to make decisions and are in overwhelming pain, effectively legalizing it.
In practice, however, the country’s health system lacks any kind of established pathway to request assisted suicide. Mario’s case is the first of its kind since the Constitutional Court decision, and thus stands to set an important precedent.
Mario has been a rallying cry for right-to-die advocates who have gathered over one million signatures for a planned referendum on the issue. In August, the patient sent a letter to Health Minister Roberto Speranza where he said that he was “in constantly increasing pain,” writing that: “Just as I have the right to treatment, I have the right to end my suffering.”
This article is part of POLITICO’s premium policy service: Pro Health Care. From drug pricing, EMA, vaccines, pharma and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the health care policy agenda. Email pro@politico.eu for a complimentary trial.
Source: Politico
