Number of people travelling to Switzerland for assisted dying doubles in four years

The number of people travelling to Switzerland to get help to end their life has doubled in four years, with most people travelling from Germany or the United Kingdom, a study has found.

Research published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics1 found that 611 people who were not resident in Switzerland had been helped to die there from 2008 to 2012, all but four having attended the Dignitas clinic. More than half (58.5%) of the people attending the clinics were women. The people’s ages ranged from 23 to 97, …