The recent conviction of euthanasia advocate Sean Davison on murder charges has sparked fresh debates on the legalisation of assisted suicide in South Africa.
Cape Town -
Burger became a quadriplegic after a car accident in 2005 and, according to his mother, Wilma du Pisani, who wrote to the court, attempted suicide in 2006 and even planned to go to Switzerland where euthanasia is legal to end his life - but couldn’t afford the trip. Holland’s sister Philippa Misplon described how her once-athletic brother - who suffered head injuries after being knocked off a bicycle in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates - became bedridden and unable to speak, but was able to express his wish to die by communicating through eye movements and agreement to verbal alphabet.
“I know there will be many people disappointed that I accepted a plea bargain, and did not go to trial. If I had done this I may have been found not guilty, and thereby lead to a law change,” he said. “There are not enough lobbying efforts happening in society because if you want the legislature to draft a bill that legalises assisted suicide, you would have to lobby for years to get legislature to draft that legislation, which is why we end up going to the courts,” she said.
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