Abusive relatives and neglectful carers could seize on new assisted suicide rules to pressurise vulnerable people into killing themselves, Roman Catholic bishops have warned. Church leaders condemned aspects of the draft guidelines, drawn up by Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, as “unacceptable in a civilised society”.
They believe that they will leave sick, disabled or vulnerable people with less protection than the rest of the population and could even be seen as providing a “cloak for murder”.
In an eagerly anticipated official response to the proposals, the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, warned of a possible “culture shift” toward wider acceptance of euthanasia.
They said that the plans would have “serious harmful effects on society” and “encourage criminal behaviour”.
The DPP has now launched a consultation on the guidance for prosecutors, which says that families who help terminally ill loved-ones to end their lives are unlikely to face prosecution as long as they do not encourage them and assist only a clear and settled intention to die.
Factors such whether they have a terminal illness, a disability, a history of suicide attempts and whether the person who assists is a spouse or close relative could weigh against bringing charges in future.
But the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, said: “We think this runs the risk of creating categories of people who are given less protection in the law and therefore runs the risk of seeing those categories of people as less worthy of the protection of the law.”
The bishops, added: “It seems to imply that if the victim is disabled or terminally ill, then his or her life does not merit the same degree of protection by law.
“Such an underlying assumption is unacceptable in a civilised and caring society.”
They added: “There is also a related danger that if, if aiding and abetting suicide is perceived to be tolerated than abuse by carers that currently expresses itself in neglect, violence and coercion will take other forms.
“Those who stand to gain advantage from the death of someone in their care might then be tempted to counsel or procure suicide.”
Prof David Jones, professor of bioethics at St Mary’s University College, who helped draft a set of alternative guidelines for the church, added: “I think that there is a danger that it could be perceived as a cloak for murder.”
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