Controversial right-to-die campaigner Philip Nitschke, often referred to as 'Dr Death,' spoke at an event in London to promote his 'suicide collar' but chose not to bring the device with him, fearing it would be stopped by customs.
Nitschke, the founder of the Swiss euthanasia organization Exit International, stated that he left the Kairos device in the Netherlands due to concerns about confiscation and the challenging environment for disseminating what authorities may consider "dangerous information to vulnerable people." He explained that losing the device, currently in its testing phase, would represent a significant setback.
The Kairos collar is designed to induce unconsciousness and then death by exerting pressure on the carotid artery using two balloons. Nitschke had previously announced plans to conduct the first assisted suicide using the collar on a woman in Switzerland.
His visit to London occurred as Members of Parliament are set to vote on Lauren Edwards' revived assisted dying bill. Nitschke suggested that the significant interest in his device and his London appearance stems from the political stalemate surrounding the legalization of assisted dying in the UK.
At the Exit Workshop in west London, attended by a largely elderly audience, Nitschke addressed attendees. Carlos Cabrera, a representative from the Swiss euthanasia clinic Athanasios, also spoke, detailing the assisted suicide process in Switzerland. Cabrera noted that Swiss law does not restrict assisted deaths to Swiss nationals, and between 40 to 60 individuals from the UK have utilized their organization's services.
Participants in Nitschke's talk were required to sign waivers affirming they had not been unduly influenced. Nitschke was previously called upon by MPs and campaigners to be banned from entering Britain. Despite these calls, he proceeded with his London engagement.
