Death with dignity Swiss style

[jimpeel]

It seems that there are up to 300 urns containing human ashes which have been dumped into Lake Zurich by the suicide clinic Dignitas.

SOURCE

Fury as 'up to 300 urns containing human remains from Dignitas suicide clinic are found at bottom of Lake Zurich'

By Alexandra Williams
Last updated at 1:55 AM on 28th April 2010

Scores of urns containing human ashes have been found dumped in a lake near the Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas.

One estimate puts the number discovered 30ft down on the bed of Lake Zurich at 300 or more.

The urns bear the logo of a cremation service thought to be used by Dignitas, the controversial organisation where more than 100 Britons have ended their lives.

It is not known if the remains of any British 'suicide tourists' are involved, and last night

Dignitas founder Ludwig Minelli refused to comment.

It is against Swiss law to dispose of a large number of urns without a commercial licence. The crime carries a jail sentence of up to three years and a £30,000 fine.

[more]

 

[MrBishop]

This underlines the need for change in British law on the subject of assisted suicide.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...suicide-clinic-Lake-Zurich.html#ixzz0mP13OyUq

Not sure how this impacts the subject of assisted suicides at all...or any more than it would ashes of people from any 'source' - like local funeral homes and/or hospitals.

What it does make me wonder about is why the families of those in the urns didn't claim the ashes for themselves.

 

[jimpeel]

This underlines the need for change in British law on the subject of assisted suicide.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...suicide-clinic-Lake-Zurich.html#ixzz0mP13OyUq

Not sure how this impacts the subject of assisted suicides at all...or any more than it would ashes of people from any 'source' - like local funeral homes and/or hospitals.

What it does make me wonder about is why the families of those in the urns didn't claim the ashes for themselves.

Perhaps there were no heirs.

Would this be considered a mass burial at sea?

 

[MrBishop]

Perhaps. It's still an odd way of ridding oneself of urns. Also, this is more of a comment on the crematorium rather than the assisted suicide joint IMO.

 

[valkyrie]

I don't believe British law needs to be adhered to in Switzerland, or vise verse. If they want to petition an international law then that would be different.

There may be a civil avenue for addressing the dumped urns if the "client" of Dignitas had contracted Dignitas (or it's contracted cremation service provider) to deliver/send the remains to a relative abroad. That information should be found in the contract, I assume.