London, England, Sep 25, 2009 / 00:50 am
Commenting on an English proposal that could decriminalize many forms of assisted suicide, the Archbishop of Cardiff has warned that weakening the law carries “great dangers.” The law must remain “clear and evident to all,” he said.
Keir Starmer, England’s director of public prosecutions, has said that those who helped adults end their lives were unlikely to be prosecuted if they were “wholly motivated by compassion” for someone who is severely disabled or terminally ill, the Associated Press reports.
Starmer was forced to publish detailed guidance for prosecutors after Debbie Purdy, a 46-year-old with multiple sclerosis, sued to force the government to reveal in what circumstances those who assist in suicides would face criminal charges.
Purdy feared the prosecution of her husband if he helped her go to a Swiss suicide clinic.